A 30-man riot broke out on Vesta Avenue last night (27) resulting in a fast-food restaurant having its windows and frontage heavily damaged.

Tasty’s Chicken & Pizza was the site of an altercation which began at around 7pm, with one neighbour reporting that a gang of youths kicked through the shop’s windows and threw a television over the counter.

The neighbour, who declined to be named, said: “There was a lot of noise – they were just a gang of teenagers. I couldn’t tell how old they were because they all had hoodies on, but they all looked quite youngish.

“Later on the chicken shop got their protection group in, and were standing arm-in-arm outside the shop for a couple of hours. The police were threatening people with arrests to make them go away.”

Another resident, who also asked not to be named, speculated that the riot was related to the fatal stabbing of 20-year-old Emill Stapleton on London Road last week.

Herts constabulary confirmed that they had attended the incident, in which 30 people were involved, but added that nobody was arrested.

A police investigation is ongoing.