A HAVE-a-go-hero who broke up a teenage Halloween brawl feared someone could have been killed if he stood by and did nothing.

Aran Pope, aged 35, stepped into the firing line after spotting a gang of eight youths surround three teenage Goths.

“One of these Goths, who must have only been about 16, was repeatedly punched and kicked on the floor.

“To see someone being attacked like that, maybe just because they looked and dressed differently, was nasty.

“As it was happening, the young Goth woman who was killed recently popped into my head. I just knew I had to do something.”

Mr Pope, an IT worker from Westbourne, jumped out of his car and waded into the mob that had gathered on Durnford Road, Parkstone, Poole, around 2pm on Friday.

He said: “Most of them, especially the older ones, ran off, but I managed to grab hold of one of them.

“Then an off-duty policeman who was driving past to go to the shops stopped to help.”

Earlier this year Sophie Lancaster, aged 20, was kicked to death by two 16-year-olds as she tried to protect her boyfriend, who went on to survive the attack in a Lancashire park.

Her boyfriend was beaten unconscious by five teenagers simply because he was a Goth.

Followers of the Goth subculture, which began in Britain during the early 1980s in the gothic rock scene, stand out because of their black clothes and make-up.

No one was seriously injured in the Poole incident, but since Mr Pope made his stand two people have been arrested and released on police bail until next month.

Detective Constable Neil Wright said: “The member of the public was very brave and Dorset Police thanks him for showing public-spiritedness.

“However, we wouldn’t advise anyone to put themselves at risk unless they were certain of the outcome.”

Any witnesses should contact DC Wright on 01202 222222, or alternatively call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.