Dramatic footage shows man’s shirt pulled off and drinks spilled as punters brawl in pub

SHOCKING footage shows a mass fight in an Essex pub, as brawlers slam each other across tables and into other customers.

Bouncers at the Moon on the Square were filmed struggling to contain the chaos on Friday night [17 Jul], which saw one patron have his shirt pulled off.

Customers at the Wetherspoon’s pub in Basildon were also captured looking on in horror as the scene unfolded.

In one clip, several people are seen tussling with each other near the back of the pub.

The violence then makes its way across the bar in a tangle of limbs and shouting.

A man dressed in white is slammed against the pub’s door and slumps to the ground.

He is then set upon by a man in black, who rains a flurry of punches down on him as he cowers on the floor.

Bouncers are seen attempting in vain to pull the man off, as he beats his helpless victim.

In another clip, the violence appears to have escalated again and a man is seen holding another man around the neck.

There is shouting and screaming as several people brawl in the background.

Suddenly, a man is seen staggering backwards as his shirt is pulled off him.

He collapses onto a table, spilling a pint and enraging one of the table’s occupants.

The man sat down shoves the topless man away from the table and gets up to join the mayhem.

He grabs the shirtless man by the head and wrestles him away from the fight, before apparently trying to reason with him.

The alarming footage was posted by Facebook group Spotted in Basildon, who said: “Punches land at The Moon on the Square”.

It is not known what exactly caused the fight, but many in the comments blamed excessive drinking.

Ricky Cook wrote: “Shut the pubs obviously people can’t handle their drink.”

Alyson Smith: “Disgusting!! I have to move!

“I drove past there Saturday afternoon and guys were drunk and cuddling each other then.

“Social distancing gone out the window.”

And Treena Osser-Ritter said: “Absolute class – not.”

ENDS

A Wetherspoons spokesman said: “It appears that there were heated words between two groups.

“One group attacked the other group and brawled between themselves and this was the catalyst for others, unconnected with the group to start brawling too.

“The pub then closed an hour early and reopened the following day.”

An Essex Police spokesman said: “We were called to reports of a fight in Market Square, Basildon at around 11.05pm on Friday 17 July.

“When we attended a short time later people were leaving the area.

“No victims were identified and no-one identified themselves as a victim.

“If you have any information about the incident please call us on 101 quoting incident 1715 of 17 July or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.”