A LARGE group of young Asian men from Nelson were involved in scenes of disorder in Blackburn town centre, police have revealed.

The group, described by some eye-witnesses as close to 100-strong, flooded Darwen Street during the Eid celebrations, causing havoc in the street and stopping traffic.

Police received several 999 calls from locals and arrested two men.

The rest of the group were taken back to Blackburn Railway Station and put on the next train.

One eye-witness, who did not want to be named, said they were having a drink at the Last Orders pub when a huge group of young men began ‘running riot’.

They said: “It seemed like a hundred young men came down the road causing trouble in Darwen Street.

"My wife was absolutely terrified. They were running amok in and out of the pubs, throwing glasses, tipping stuff up and shouting insults at people.”

A 22-year-old Nelson man was arrested and later fined £80 for disorder following the incident, at 7.30pm on Friday.

A police spokesman said they dealt with the trouble by ‘early intervention’ and a ‘robust approach’.

He said: “A large group of youths from Nelson came to Blackburn during the early evening.

"It appears they were intent on causing problems in and out of the pubs on Darwen Street.

“Police received numerous reports from various sources, which confirmed that some members of the group had been committing disorder, knocking over street furniture and stopping traffic.”