POLICE prevented a mass brawl 40 teenage schoolboys, some of them armed with hammers, baseball bats and knives, squared up in Taunton's Vivary Park.

Two 15-year-olds were arrested - one was overpowered with CS spray - and later released on a final warning following the unrest at around 6pm on Friday, January 20.

Officers took the unusual step of invoking stop and search powers for two hours as they dispersed the youngsters.

No-one was hurt, but the police have upped patrols in the area.

A police spokesman said: "We were called to reports of altercations between two groups of youths.

"Two 15-year-old boys were arrested on suspicion of possession of offensive weapons - one had a hammer, the other a baseball bat.

"They were later released and given a final warning as to their future conduct."

Most of the school-aged youngsters scattered when police arrived on the scene.

But officers, fearful of a possible outbreak of violence, remained on the scene and invoked a Section 60 order for two hours to stop and search any youngsters in the area.

For the full story see today's County Gazette.