Up to 40 visitors to an Essex nightclub became involved in a large scale fight in which weapons were brandished, police said.

The fight is thought to have erupted between two groups of customers at The Venue nightclub in Collingwood Road, Witham, in the early hours of this morning.

Essex Police said it received a number of reports of a fight at the club with reports that between 30 and 40 people were fighting and weapons had been brandished.

Chief Inspector Craig Carrington, Braintree & Uttlesford District Commander, said: “We received a number of calls with very concerning reports of a large-scale fight, with one person reporting that a machete had been seen.

“Stop and search powers under Section 60 of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994 were authorised for Witham as part of the management of the incident.

“The incident was dealt with swiftly, and a number of people within the licensed premises and in the nearby area were searched.

“The Section 60 powers were put in place at 3am when officers arrived on scene and authorised for 15 hours. This was lifted at 8.30am this morning.

“A small number of people have been treated for cuts and bruises, however we’ve had no reports of stab wounds or any serious injuries.

“It is believed the fight broke out between two groups of customers, and we are continuing to speak to witnesses.

“It may be that residents were aware of the disturbance this morning and we’d like to highlight the rarity of an event such as this in Witham and Braintree more widely.

“Witham remains a safe place to live and we continue to work in partnership with the community to keep residents safe.

“This will be dealt with thoroughly and our enquiries are ongoing.”

No weapons were found and no arrests have been made.

Anyone with information is asked to contact us on 101, or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 111 555.