A large fight broke out on board a cruise liner, sparked by a person dressed as a clown. The incident happened in the buffet area and led to furniture and plates being thrown and left six people injured, including a staff member. The fight happened during a week-long cruise to Norway's fjords on P&O's Britannia. A 41-year-old woman and a 43-year-old man from Essex were arrested by Hampshire police on suspicion of assault when the ship docked in Southampton on Saturday morning. They were confined to their cabins during the last leg of the journey. Hampshire police said: “Officers are investigating following reports of a public order incident on board P&O’s Britannia. 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. Two people, a 43-year-old man and a 41-year-old woman, both from Chigwell, Essex, have been arrested on suspicion of assault and are currently in police custody.” Passenger Richard Gaisford of ITV's <em>Good Morning Britain</em> was on board at the time and tweeted about the incident, saying the area was covered in blood. He said: "Violent late night brawl in the buffet onboard P&O Cruises' Britannia left staff who intervened injured, as passengers used furniture and plates as weapons. Witnesses told me they were so frightened they had to hide, as family groups fought. “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. This upset one of their party because they’d specifically booked a cruise with no fancy dress. It led to a violent confrontation." He said the vessel had left Bergen at 2.30pm on Thursday and the violence occurred 12 hours later after a black tie event. A P&O Cruises spokesman said: “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.”
