POLICE were called in to deal with a mass brawl which spilled into a popular seafront hotel.

Hundreds of pounds of damage was caused during the fight which lasted more than 30 minutes and started near the Seven Hotel, which recently gained a place in the Michelin Guide.

The violence began in Clifton Terrace, Southend, with residents advised to lock their doors for their own safety before the punch-up, involving up to 10 people, spilt onto the terrace of the venue. General manager Stephan Belot said: “It was absolutely nothing to do with the hotel.

“It was people outside who were fighting.

“Then they started coming into the terrace which anyone can access via the stairs.

“Our customers became frightened so we moved everyone inside and called the police immediately.”

Four police cars arrived on scene within minutes and tried to break up the brawl while others filmed the scenes.

Mr Belot revealed a marble table, worth about £1,000 was among the items damaged in the area during the problems on Tuesday night. He added: “Because of our clientele, we do not have security but at no point did they come in the restaurant. There was all kinds of shouting and swearing and it went on for about half an hour - it was affecting our customers and people trying to check in.”

One resident, who lives near the hotel, revealed: “We were forced to go inside our homes for our own safety as the crowd of people started encroaching on our front gardens and aiming comments at residents standing on our front steps.”

Two people have been arrested in connection to the incident.

Matthew Waites, 35, of no fixed address, has been charged with using threatening or abusive words or behaviour likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress and is due at Southend Magistrates’ Court on November 8. A 32 year-old woman from Westcliff was also arrested on suspicion of the same offence and is in custody.