Two men who came to blows on a garage forecourt in Witcham Toll over a dispute between their families have been convicted of affray.

Neil Jones, 38, of Albert Way, Chatteris, and William King, 47, of Church Road, Wentworth, had been involved in an ongoing row which came to a head at the Jet petrol station forecourt at Witcham Toll on May 6, last year.

A fight ensued, during which King suffered a broken jaw.

Both men claimed they had been acting in self-defence, however they were convicted of affray following a six-day trial at Cambridge Crown Court.

Both men were sentenced to eight-months in prison, suspended for two years, ordered to carry out 200 hours’ unpaid work and each fined £1,000. They were sentenced on Wednesday, January 29.

A 17-year-old boy was acquitted by the jury.

Detective Constable Paul Atkinson said: “This was the result of an ongoing dispute between the two men which spilled into a fight in a public place at 9am in the morning.

“Such was the violence involved, an 81-year-old man who witnessed the fight felt so scared he barricaded himself inside the forecourt shop.

“Causing that level of fear is simply not acceptable and it is only right that the two men involved were prosecuted for their actions.

“They should really have known better.”