A MAN has been charged following a mass brawl which broke out at Haydock Park during the Grand National Trial meeting.

The incident on Saturday, February 16, marred the event after officers were called to the racecourse around 4.50pm following reports of a disturbance involving a group of men.

Following enquiries, 26-year-old Mason Nield of Elmbank Road, Middleton was arrested and has now been charged with affray and possession of a class A controlled drug (cocaine).

He is due to appear at Liverpool Magistrates' Court on Tuesday, August 27.

Racegoers described watching the violence unfold at the time.

“It was something out of a horror scene, it was traumatic,” one racegoer told the Press Association.

“The security tried to intervene but you couldn’t do anything at this point they had to sort of let them sort it out.

“There were families and kids there, they were bumping into prams and as you can see on the video there’s a mum and child being rushed off by security.

“Early on in the footage she gets pushed over.

“Everyone was so shocked because it was such a nice day and the weather was good and then it just turned.”

The racegoer said he did not know how the fighting started.

“I just think it was a drunken mess to be honest, but I have to clarify this was a minority and this is not how everyone behaves at racing,” he said.

“Racing is not the type of event where this happens, racing events are amazing.

“There will be people there who think I’m never going to a race event ever again and that’s why things like this are so wrong.”

A spokesman from Haydock Park said: "The man in question has been banned for life from all Jockey Club racecourses and Haydock Park is one of them."