Six people were assaulted after a passenger dressed as a clown sparked a mass brawl on a P&O cruise ship, according to reports. Families fled as passengers allegedly used furniture and plates as weapons onboard the ship, which had left Bergen in Norway just 12 hours earlier.
Passengers suspected of being behind the violence were reportedly confined to their cabins on the last day of the cruise, before being greeted by Hampshire police when the ship docked in Southampton on Saturday morning.
A 43-year-old man and a 41-year-old woman, both from Essex, have been arrested on suspicion of assault and are currently in police custody.
“One witness, part of a group involved in the trouble, explained to staff that things kicked off when another passenger appeared dressed as a clown," Richard Gaisford Twitted. “This upset one of their party because they'd specifically booked a cruise with no fancy dress. It led to a violent confrontation."
The staff told Gaisford they had never seen anything like it, and one witness said “there was blood everywhere."
“I was in my room when the security tannoy happened at 2am," another passenger said. “I saw two people being escorted out by police — police holding their belongings — limping. Just to clarify, the majority of those onboard were perfectly civilized and nice individuals. It was just ruined by a few drunk idiots."
“Following an incident on board Britannia on Thursday evening we can confirm that all guests have now disembarked and the matter is now in the hands of the local police," a P&O Cruises spokesman said.
“Officers are investigating following reports of a public order incident on-board P&Os Britannia," Hampshire police said. “The incident happened during the early hours of Friday, 26 July while the ship was en-route to Southampton from Bergen. Six people, three men and three women, were assaulted. A number of injuries were suffered including significant bruising and cuts. Investigations are ongoing."
