UK soldiers in custody in bar brawl probe

Six British soldiers arrested after a drunken brawl in a bar in the Canary Islands have been remanded in custody.

The servicemen, from the Welsh Guards, were held following clashes on the Spanish island of Lanzarote on Saturday in which six people were injured, local authorities said.

Sources said a judge remanded the troops in custody yesterday on suspicion of assault, causing criminal damage and resisting arrest.

The brawl reportedly broke out in Argentinian bar La Vaca Loca - which means "Mad Cow" - in the resort of Costa Teguise after the owner asked the soldiers to leave.

The soldiers became embroiled in a fight after the bar's owner allegedly caught them trying to steal wine, a regional government spokesman said.

Chairs and tables went flying, windows were smashed and four people were so seriously injured that they needed hospital treatment, according to Spanish media reports.

A regional government spokesman said two Spanish Civil Guard policemen also suffered minor injuries while arresting five men who tried to flee the scene. Another man was arrested yesterday.

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office is providing consular assistance.