THIS is the terrifying moment a duel between machete-wielding thugs breaks out.
Video of the horror incident in Southend, Essex, shows a group of masked men wielding large blades in a confrontation with another man, who is also holding a weapon.
The footage shows one of the masked men, who is wearing grey, brandishing a blade, which was tucked into his jogging bottoms.
Another man with his face covered, dressed all in black, stands near him, as a third person, who is unmasked and wearing a gilet, appears to get a weapon from the inside of a blue car and walk towards the pair.
The maskless man then runs towards the person wearing grey – who backs away.
He then heads towards what appears to be a third masked man, who himself is wielding a blade.
The men swipe at each other a number of times, and the person filming, who appears to be standing behind the velvet red rope sometimes found outside of nightclubs, veers away from the action for a moment.
Off-camera, the unmasked man in a gilet apparently gets into the blue car, because when the cameraman returns to filming the scene, the masked group are seen surrounding the vehicle and attacking.
The vehicle then drives away.
Police said an arrest has been made and an investigation is progressing after an assault in Southchurch Road shortly after 12.15am this morning.
The force said in a statement that officers were on the scene within ten minutes, and it was established that a group of individuals had been involved in a fight, with “a number of weapons seen”.
One man suffered injuries and received hospital treatment, though his injuries are not life-threatening or life-changing, cops said.
A man, 32, from Coventry, has since been arrested on suspicion of affray. He remains in custody for questioning.
Police said enquiries are ongoing around Southend and they continue to maintain a visible presence in the area.
Specialist officers within the Serious Crime Directorate will be leading the investigation and officers will be conducting patrols throughout the coming days, they added.
Chief Inspector Paul Hogben said: “I would ask anyone who may have information about this incident, or concerns, to please get in touch with us as soon as possible.
“We take incidents of this nature very seriously and the Southend community can expect a robust response and investigation.
“We have a dedicated team conducting the investigation into this incident and we will issue updates as we progress.”
Anyone with information if asked to contact Essex Police as soon as possible.
