Five young footballers who took part in a mass brawl outside Watford's Walkabout Bar have all been ordered to carry out unpaid work.

In addition the five will also be prevented from going out on Friday, Saturday and Sunday night for the next seven weeks.

The sentences were imposed yesterday at St Albans Crown Court when the five, who are all from Watford, appeared in front of Judge Stephen Gullick.

Shaun Moody, 20, of Tudor Walk, Harry Jones, 23, of Harris Road, Charlie Seymour, 24, of Queenswood Crescent who at the time was living in Devon Road, James Hocking, 20, of Harris Road and Daniel Robertson, 26, of Fuller Road all pleaded guilty to a charge of affray.

David Povall prosecuting told the court the violence flared just before midnight on April 21 last year.

He said the five were members of a local amateur football team and went into the bar that night with some of the other club's players.

He said towards midnight there was a confrontation inside the bar between the footballers and another group of young men leading to both groups being ejected.

The result, said Mr Povall, was a mass brawl outside the bar in The Parade.

He said it could well have been the case that the first blows thrown had come from the other group.

But he said as the fighting began around 20 young men were involved in the violence including the defendants.

Police arrived on the scene to find some people on the ground, another being chased and kicks and punches being exchanged.

Police had to use CS spray and their batons to bring the violence to an end and in the investigation that followed CCTV footage was closely examined.

As a result the five were arrested.

Moody accepted getting involved and said it was his first ever fight.

Jones admitted a red mist had descended and he had hit others.

Seymour agreed he had kicked someone and Hocking said he had gone to help someone and kicked another man.

Robertson had exercised his rights and made no comment.

Judge Gullick told the five: "This was an unpleasant incident in a public place."

He said he had no doubt the violence had been fuelled by alcohol, but he said all five were men were of previous good character and had admitted their guilt at an early stage.

He sentenced each of the five to a 12-month community sentence and told them they must each perform 150 hours of unpaid work.

And he told the group they would all be the subject of a home curfew for the next seven weeks on Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights when they will have to be home between 9pm and 4am.

He told them: "It's to bring home the folly of going out, drinking too much and getting involved in fighting."

In addition each of the men was told he would have to pay £120 prosecution costs, plus a £60 statutory surcharge.