A TERRIFIED landlord says he could quit his pub following a bar-room brawl before the Blackburn Rovers and Newcastle United tie last night.

Licensee Geoffrey Hunter claims someone could have been killed when trouble erupted at The Angel, in Bolton Road, Blackburn, at 7pm.

He said: "It had been a great afternoon. The pub was heaving with Blackburn and Newcastle families with young kiddies and we were just counting down to kick-off.

"Then some people, who live in Blackburn, started chanting 'Manchester United' at the Blackburn and Newcastle families.

"All hell broke lose. Tables and windows got smashed and we had to drag the youngsters over the bar to saftey. There were split heads, broken glasses, everything. I dialled 999 and got the police down."

Mr Hunter, who has run the pub for three years, believes the Manchester United fans had deliberately arrived to cause trouble and says they were seen wearing both Blackburn and Newcastle shirts on a nearby car park.

One of his bar staff was arrested while trying to calm the trouble but later released without charge.

He added: "I am seriously considering moving to a pub away from the ground."

Today a police spokesman said five people from Blackburn had been arrested at the pub.

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