AN eyewitness estimates nearly 100 people were involved in a large fight which saw two teenagers being stabbed.

Two men have been arrested in connection with the incident which happened in Chalkwell Esplanade, near Chalkwell train station, around 7pm last night.

The teenagers who were stabbed were taken to hospital but their injuries are not life-threatening.

An eyewitness, who was driving past Chalkwell train station around the time the incident last night, has described how officers were forced to run into a large crowd after a fight broke out.

The eyewitness, who wished to remain anonymous, said: "There were roughly around 15 police cars and vans all blocking the road past the train station and probably just less of about 100 or so people all gathered and being held outside.

“We were stuck there long enough to see a small fight break out which then resulted in all police running straight into the crowd to break this up.

“After that happened they finally got the police dogs out of the van which seemed to calm the crowd down. Then we drove through and they closed the roads off."

She added: "It’s not something you see everyday so it was a bit of shock.

“There were four of us in the car and could say we were slightly shaken up by it as there was just a lot going on, especially as we didn’t really know what had happened at the time.”

Police eventually cordoned off the bridge near to the train station.

A force helicopter was also called to the scene and was said to be hovering over the area for several hours.

Anyone with information about the incident should call Southend CID on 101 quoting reference 1144 of today’s date.