"Ladies" day at Ascot!

Fist past the post
They're off ... racegoers battle each other during brawl at Royal
Ascot


TIPSY "Topper Yobs" ran riot at Royal Ascot - brandishing fenceposts
and champagne flutes in a horrifying brawl.

At least 20 punters, both men AND women, waded in near the historic
track, just a few hundred yards from where the Queen had watched a
day's racing.

Ten police officers had to brave the frenzied group - some clad in top
hats and tails - as they fought beside rows of stretch limos in the
main car park.

A total of 14 people were arrested during disturbances on Wednesday -
Day Two of the elite meeting in Berkshire.

Five more were held yesterday - Ladies Day. Nine were nicked on
Tuesday.

This brings to 28 the number of people held in just three days of the
posh event where one of the VIPs was Culture Secretary Tessa Jowell.

Meanwhile, just 13 England fans were held in the same period in
Germany, where tens of thousands of once-notorious Lionhearts have
poured in to watch Our Boys' World Cup bid.

And last night one supporter awaiting Sunday's clash with Ecuador
quipped: "I'm glad I'm here, not in Ascot. It doesn't sound safe."

Shocked onlookers told how plastered racegoers punched, kicked and
even headbutted each other on Wednesday.

They also pulled fenceposts from the ground to use as weapons and
hurled chairs at one another.

Others tried to glass each other with champagne flutes and fought
running battles through picnicking families.

Race fans told how one woman smashed a post over a man's head, while
another swung a plastic seat in the air, yelling four-letter abuse.
The scuffle started after two women from rival parties began arguing
about their picnics. It became a full-scale brawl when their fellas
tried to break it up.


Stunned Amanda Armstrong, 35, said: "It was a riot. One minute
everyone was having a civilised drink, and the next minute fists were
flying everywhere.

"I couldn't believe it. You don't expect fighting at a posh do like
Royal Ascot.

"They were like the worst sort of football hooligans."

The mum of two, from Buckingham, Bucks, was with a separate group
nearby when the fight began.

She added: "Some of the women had had an argument and it escalated
from there - they all sort of charged at each other.

"People were wading in and trying to pull each other apart, but then
they would get stuck in as well. It was obvious they had all been
drinking quite heavily. We thought it was just men fighting - then we
saw it was women as well.

"They were the worst. One had a 2ft stake and was battering a man's
head. There was blood everywhere."

Amanda's pal Linda Clements, 41, from Watford, said: "The whole thing
lasted almost half an hour.

"We were too scared to try to break it up. There were just too many of
them and it was really violent."

A Thames Valley Police spokeswoman confirmed a 21-year-old man was
arrested for affray. He was still in custody last night. A man of 40
was charged with a public order offence. He was later released.

Ascot's head of PR Nick Smith said: "Sadly there will always be some
who don't behave as we'd wish."

Racegoers swigged 34,000 bottles of champers on Wed- nesday, plus
32,000 pints of beer, 2,800 bottles of Pimms and 2,100 litres of wine.

And yesterday drunken punters came to blows over the last bottle of
rose champagne at the Mumm tented bar. One barmaid said: "There was a
real scuffle."

Meanwhile, England's travelling footie army - feared after riots in
previous tournaments - quaffed beer and enjoyed the summer festival of
football in Germany.



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