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Mum recalls horror of Margate Sunny Sands beach brawl

A woman has described her horror at seeing a brawl involving about 50 people unfold in front of her eyes.

Pictures taken by Tammy-Louise Layne show police on Margate's Sunny Sands beach after the major bust up, in which one man was arrested.

The mum-of-nine, of Margate Road in Ramsgate, was enjoying a day out at Margate beach with three of her children yesterday.

The row erupted at Margate Sunny Sands beach. There is no suggestion the people pictured were involved in the brawl. Picture: Tammy-Louise Layne
The row erupted at Margate Sunny Sands beach. There is no suggestion the people pictured were involved in the brawl. Picture: Tammy-Louise Layne

The 48-year-old heard a commotion down the beach and went to see what was going on.

She believes a child was hit in the face with a mobile phone.

It has since emerged a second beach brawl happened in nearby Broadstairs, where four people claim to have been assaulted by a gang of youngsters.

Ms Layne said: "I was with three of my girls and three of their friends.

"We were on the beach, we heard a lot of abuse being hurled a couple of rows in front of us so we went straight over there and saw a little boy with a cut.

"A man hurled racial abuse and another woman with his group was trying to attack a black man.

"We think the man threw a mobile phone.

"Police were on the beach."

The scene at Margate's Sunny Sands beach, where the row erupted. There is no suggestion the people pictured were involved in the brawl. Picture: Tammy-Louise Layne
The scene at Margate's Sunny Sands beach, where the row erupted. There is no suggestion the people pictured were involved in the brawl. Picture: Tammy-Louise Layne

She added that a crowd soon gathered to see what was going on.

"I spoke to them with my family to ask if they were ok and they explained what'd happened," Ms Layne said.

"They went to sit on the beach and this white crowd didn't want them sitting anywhere near them.

"We said they were welcome to join us if they wanted.

"It's disgusting, absolutely disgusting. My children were upset about it as well.

Tammy-Louise, centre, with her partner Peter Layne, right, and her family
Tammy-Louise, centre, with her partner Peter Layne, right, and her family

"The 1970s are gone. We're in 2019 now and I just think it's awful.

"I'm with a black man myself."

Ms Layne has been with her partner, Peter Layne, for almost seven years.

She added: "We were just enjoying the sun. We like Margate beach, it's very mixed and it's normally very friendly."

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