HOSTILITIES between two families erupted into "mob violence" on an Accrington street.

Burnley Crown Court heard how about 50 people, some brandishing sticks or bars, met police on Willows Lane, and one officer was "extremely frightened" at the horde before him.

Seven men, five of them cabbies and related either through blood or involvement in the taxi business, were all fined after a judge said the case had "special features".

Assistant Recorder RJ Pratt, who told the court some of the prosecution witnesses had been arrested, said he did not want in any way to send out a message that the court was prepared to tolerate public disorder.

Nothing could be further from the truth - but the defendants had not been in trouble before and there had been no problems since. All admitted threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour.

Sarfraz Ahmed, 22, a father of two of Higher Antley Street, who is unemployed, was fined £150; factory worker Zaheer Abbas, 21, of Craven Street, a father of one, Mohammed Younis, 35, a father of four, of Richmond Street, Mohammed Yaqoob, 44, of Rowland Street, a father of six, Mahammed Jameel Hussain, 22, of Richmond Street, a father of four, Mohammed Razaq, 50, a father of seven, of Craven Street, and Talib Hussain Zaman, 22, a father of three, of Corporation Street, all Accrington, were each fined £250 with £50 costs. Chris Knight, prosecuting, told the court Razaq's son was Abbas. Younis and Yaqoob were brothers and Yaqoob's son was Mahammed Jameel Hussain. Ahmed and Zaman seemed to be related through the taxi business rather than blood. There had been a history of problems between the defendants' family and a family living on Willows Lane.

In February 1998, a member of the other family had gone round to tackle Razaq, nothing came of it, but the following day there had been trouble, ending temporarily in a scuffle between two neighbours of the other family and Ahmed and Abbas.

Each returned to their family, reported what had gone on and a large number of people headed for the other family's home. There was then an altercation between the two parties.

Mr Knight said when police arrived between 40 and 50 people were in the street, some brandishing sticks and bars. Police were unable to say who did what, where or when.

Some of the other family were injured and needed hospital treatment.

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