Police had to deal with a 'large disturbance' in the heart of Norwich's clubland in the early hours of this morning.

Officers were called to Prince of Wales Road, close to Mojo's nightclub, shortly after 3am, after a number of people started fighting.

One witness said about 150 people were involved and likened it to 'a riot', but police were not able to confirm how many people were involved.

They did describe it as a 'large disturbance' and said a number of people were detained at the scene. While officers were dealing with that violence, another disturbance broke out in Cathedral Street.

Police said that disturbance was believed to be related to the earlier incident and more people were detained.

A taxi driver who witnessed the incident said police officers had to link arms at one point to try to bring the situation under control.

He said: 'That's the worst I've ever seen it down there. I think there were about 150 to 200 people involved and the police were walking down the road with their arms linked to deal with it.

'We couldn't get down the road to pick up because the roads were blocked by police cars. I've never seen anything like it, it was like a riot.'

Four men, all aged 19, were arrested on suspicion of affray in connection, while a 25-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of being drunk and disorderly.

All suspects remain in custody at Aylsham Police Investigation Centre where they will be questioned.

At the end of June, police arrested 22 people during a Saturday-night crackdown on violence and anti-social behaviour in Norwich's nightclub district.

Operation Impact saw 75 officers take to the streets for a night of action against alcohol-fuelled offending, resulting in arrests for drunkenness, assault, drink-driving and drugs offences, and a dawn drugs raid in a Prince of Wales.

The 22 arrests included seven for drunk and disorderly behaviour, four for drugs offences, four for assault, two for drink-driving, two for breaching orders to leave the area, and individual offences of breach of the peace, affray and breaching bail conditions.

Seventeen Section 27 orders were handed out, which ban drinkers from an area of the city for a fixed period of time to prevent trouble developing.