TEN men accused of taking part in a violent brawl outside shops in Bassaleg have all been cleared after a week-long trial.

A jury at Newport crown court found the men, seven of whom were drivers for Newport-based Capitol Taxis, not guilty of violent disorder in an incident last year.

And now the cleared men are demanding answers into why the case was brought to court in the first place.

It was alleged the seven drivers of Asian origin and three white passengers, had been involved in a "revenge" attack on four white youths one night in August, 2003.

The arrests were made following a disturbance in Laurel Road which took place less than two hours after an Asian taxi driver's car was smashed outside the Friendly Fox pub in Bassaleg.

Police later admitted in court that Colin Howells, who was responsible for the damage, received a caution despite having a string of previous convictions and supplying false details when arrested.

The defendants, none of whom had criminal records, always maintained they had gone to the shops that night to help a fellow driver.

Speaking after the verdicts, Kashmir Bashir said: "This whole process has been a joke."

Javed Mohammed added: "Taxi drivers do a very difficult job and the police should appreciate that."

The accused drivers now work for internet firm Inferno Marketing in Cardiff Road, Newport.

A police spokesman said: "Gwent Police gathered all the available evidence and presented it to the Crown Prosecution Service. "The CPS then decides who is to be charged and with what and it is the role of the court to test that evidence."

The cleared men are Imran Hussain, 26, of Llanthewy Road, Paul Baldwin, 33, of Bryn Bevan, Sajad Iqbal, 24, of Bailey Street, Sohail Abid, 29, of West Park Road, Bashir Hussain, 54, of Glebe Street, Javed Mohammed, 32, of Cardiff Road, Mohammed Younis, 26, of Caple Crescent, Martin Edwards, 42, of Maesglas Crescent, Paul Rogers, 38, of Traston Road, all Newport and Kashif Bashir, 24, of Roxby Court, Cardiff.