Armed police swoop on covidiot clash just before midnight outside pub in quaint Kent village - and arrest six men and two women

Six men and two women have been arrested after armed officers and a police dog swooped on a disturbance at a pub in a quintessential Kent village.

Officers shouted outside the White Horse Pub in historic Otham, which is mentioned in the Domesday book, just before midnight and led away the eight individuals in handcuffs. 

Eight people were arrested on suspicion of affray following a physical and verbal altercation. They remain in police custody.

Kent police said enquiries were ongoing to establish the circumstances around the incident. It is not clear whether the pub was open despite lockdown measures and whether those involved were part of the same family group.

At least five armed officers were pictured outside the pub late last night along with a police dog as they made the arrests.

A man was also seen leaving the pub when asked by armed police in video footage of the scene. 

A sign outside the business read: 'Due to Covid-19 this pub is closed.' And a second said: 'Discrimination, prejudice, harassment, hate is a crime.'

Officers were called to the sleepy village late last night after witnesses reported the fight and seeing a possible weapon.

No serious injuries were reported and no weapons were found.

The UK government ordered all cafes, pubs and restaurants to close indefinitely on March 20 in the fight to beat coronavirus.

It offered to pay 80 per cent of staffs wages during this period to avoid businesses going bankrupt. However, experts have warned that despite the measures many will never re-open.

Announcing the measures, Boris Johnson said: 'For now, at least physically, we need to keep people apart.

'The more effectively we follow the advice we are given, the faster this country will stage both a medical and an economic recovery in full.'

As many as 28,131 people have died from coronavirus in the UK since the outbreak began. A further 182,260 infections have also been identified.