Shoppers looked on in horror as a fight broke out between two men in their 20s in the busy street shortly before midday.

The scuffle spilled into Somerfield Supermarket and Broadfield Homecare - where one of the lads snatched a kitchen knife.

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A worker at the hardware store, said: "I went outside to get my deliveries. I came back into the shop and saw there was a man inside, he took a kitchen knife and ran out of the shop."

Eyewitnesses described how the two men became involved in a running battle up and down the Barton which exploded outside Cafe Santa Maria.

At one point one of the two men grabbed a baby's buggy and spun it around in front of the child's horrified father.

Dad-of-six Mark Knight, 41, from Pound Hill, said: "He hit the buggy which spun round with my 18 month old baby in it. I grabbed on to one of them and held him off. The other one ran off yelling `he tried to stab me, he tried to stab me'."

Officers swarmed the shopping parade and a police helicopter was scrambled.

One cop was seen walking away from the crime scene with what was described by eyewitnesses as 'a machete'. However the Observer understands the weapon was unconnected to the assault.

A second knife - understood to be the one taken from Broadfield Homecare - was recovered by officers in Somerfield and taken away in a sealed tube. It was retrieved from guttering on the supermarket roof.

A spokeswoman for Sussex Police said that a 20-year-old and a 24-year-old had been arrested for public order offences, following what is understood to have been a disagreement between two people who are known to one another.

She said: "Officers have retrieved a knife.Although at least one person may have sustained some level of injuries, Police believe these are not consistent with injuries that are caused by the use of a knife.

"The area was busy with shoppers at the time, and witnesses who haven't already spoken to officers are asked to pass on their contact details to Police.

"Please drop into the police station or call Crawley Police on 0845 60 70 999 and quote reference 748 of 31st July. Alternatively TEXT ME on 07788 917141."

Did you see anything? Call the newsdesk on 01293 845055 or email matthew.gaw@sussexnewspapers.co.uk

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