A LONG-running feud between two families erupted into a mass brawl in the middle of a Southampton street, a court heard.

As many as 16 people, some armed with baseball bats and knives, clashed in Derby Road after members of the Roath family went “looking for a fight” with the Singh family.

The brawl prompted witnesses to lock themselves in nearby shops to protect themselves.

At Southampton Crown Court Dali Singh, 31, was jailed for his part in the incident.

The court heard how Singh and family members had been engaged in a “long-running feud” with members of the Roath family – a rivalry which is said to have been ongoing for several years, prior to the fight, on August 10.

The brawl, which took place on Derby Road, is said to have involved up to 16 people and lasted around five minutes.

The court heard that several participants, made up of family and friends from both sides, were seen on CCTV carrying weapons, including a baseball bat, a golf club and a number of knives.

Dali Singh was seen with a broom handle, which he had picked up after the fight had started.

He was later seen chasing members of the Roath family away along Derby Road.

Singh was found guilty of violent disorder after a trial at Southampton Crown Court earlier this month.

Satnam Singh Roath and Shakti Singh Roath were both found not-guilty of the same offence during the trial.

Singh was jailed for 20 months by Judge Christopher Parker QC.

Judge Parker told him: “Dali Singh, by August last year, you had been involved in a long running feud with members of the Roath family that had been going on for a number of years.

“On August 10 some members of the Roath family, together with friends and associates, had gone looking for you for a fight and you armed yourself for that purpose.

“There is evidence you used a broom handle, along with other people using weapons, to inflict injuries on both Satnam and Shakti Roath.

“In my estimation, this was not a fight started by you, but the evidence shows you were ready and willing to engage in violence.”

He added: “This public-order incident was frightening, and it would have been frightening to anyone who was in the street just going about their business.

“People can be seen in the footage locking themselves inside convenience stores.

“There has to be a custodial sentence, but I will make it as short as is reasonable, given your level of involvement and how it came to start that evening.”

A court order banning the publication of Singh’s address was put in place by Southampton Crown Court.