Nine people were left injured after a 'chaotic' brawl erupted outside a seaside pub.

Police and paramedics were called to The Victoria, in Whitley Bay town centre on Tyneside at around 8.15pm on Wednesday night. A passerby said there was "absolute chaos" outside the bar, which is known to locals as 'The Vic'.

Paramedics treated nine people at the scene, with five being taken to hospital. Police said one man was arrested on suspicion of wounding with intent to commit grievous bodily harm and was questioned in custody.

A Northumbria Police spokesman said: "At about 8.15pm yesterday we received a report of a disturbance outside The Victoria pub on Whitley Road, Whitley Bay. Officers attended the scene and found a fight had taken place, with a number of people requiring medical treatment. Their injuries were non-life threatening."

"A full investigation was immediately launched into the disturbance. A 22-year-old man has since been arrested on suspicion of wounding with intent to commit grievous bodily harm and he remains in police custody at this time. Enquiries are ongoing."

One passerby, who asked not to be named, told local reporters that he witnessed the aftermath of the brawl. "I came back into Whitley Bay at about 9.30pm and it was absolute chaos," he said. "It obviously happened a bit before this time.," reports ChronicleLive. "A lot of people were badly hurt. I spoke to somebody who was in the pub and she said she had seen nothing like it."

A spokeswoman for the North East Ambulance Service said five people were taken to the Northumbria Specialist Emergency Care Hospital, in Cramlington. She said: "We were called to an incident on Whitley Road, Whitley Bay just before 8.15pm last night. We dispatched our full Hazardous Area Response Team, three double-crewed ambulances, a clinical team leader and a duty officer.

"Four patients were treated and discharged at the scene and five patients were taken to Northumbria Specialist Emergency Care Hospital." Anyone with information is asked to call Northumbria Police on 101 quoting log NP-20240417-0991.