Man in Clown Suit Starts Massive Drunken Brawl on Cruise Ship, Witnesses Say

According to Richard Gaisford, a correspondent with the CNN affiliate ITV news, a man dressed as a clown started an alcohol-fueled mass brawl on a British cruise ship last Friday, while the vessel was traveling back from Norway. However, police are now disputing Gaisford’s account.

Gaisford claims to have been on board the “Britannia” cruise ship as a brawl broke out. He began tweeting about the incident as it unfolded but U.K. police say there is no evidence to support his claims.

Gaisford said that a fight broke out when a man dressed as a clown walked into the ship’s 16th-floor restaurant. Some guests on the ship were reportedly upset about his costume, and it didn’t take long before violence erupted.

https://twitter.com/richardgaisford/status/1155030090830495746

“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,” Gaisford said.

“No fancy dress” is how the English say “no costumes allowed.”

“There was blood everywhere. Passengers used furniture and plates as weapons. Witnesses told me they were so frightened they had to hide as family groups fought,” Gaisford added.

“The incident took place during the early hours of Friday, 26 July, onboard P&O’s Britannia while it was en route to Southampton from Bergen,” a police spokeswoman said, according to the BBC.

Following the fight, passengers who were suspected of being involved were ordered to stay in their cabins for the last day of the cruise before they were turned over to police. According to police, three men and three women were assaulted in the brawl, and numerous other injuries were reported.

In a statement after the brawl, 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.”

Hampshire police arrested one man, 43, and one woman, 41, both from Chigwell, Essex, in connection with the brawl. However, both were released on Sunday and remain under investigation. Police told the Guardian:

“There is no information to suggest that a clown or anyone wearing fancy dress was involved in this incident.”

According to Cruise Law News, brawls on cruise ships are incredibly common and are often provoked by the large volume of alcohol that is served.