This is the moment a brawl erupted on the opening night of Lidl's first-ever pub, as drinkers, security guards and police clashed at closing time. The altercation began inside the £500,000 'world first' supermarket pub, The Middle Ale in Dundonald, Northern Ireland, when a group of punters were 'politely asked to leave' after last orders on Thursday night.Lidl said security guards on the premises assisted in the 'prompt removal' of the group for the safety of their customers and employees, before the Police Service Northern Ireland (PSNI) saw to their full removal from the site. The PSNI confirmed they received reports of an 'assault' at The Middle Ale following an altercation between two men reported at approximately 11.20pm. The force, who is now appealing for witnesses, said one man was taken to hospital following the incident to treat injuries they said are not believed to be serious. Footage of the altercation, which came only hours after the one-of-a-kind pub opened its doors, has since widely circulated online. It appears to show a man forcibly removed from the site by a group of security guards.Lidl Northern Ireland have said they were 'aware' of the incident and hold a 'zero tolerance' approach to such unrest. The brawl began inside the 'world first' supermarket pub on Thursday evening when a group of punters were 'politely asked to leave' after last orders Footage of the altercation, which came only hours after the one-of-a-kind pub opened its doors, has since widely circulated online The Middle Ale, also home to an off-license, has room for around 60 pubgoers and is adjacent to the Lidl supermarket store in Dundonald, a suburb of Belfast In a statement, the chain said: 'A group of customers were politely asked to leave the premises after last orders were called and an altercation took place between the group of customers.'For the safety of our employees and customers, security personnel assisted in the prompt removal of the group and the PSNI supported in ensuring their full removal from the site.'At The Middle Ale, the safety of our employees and customers is of utmost importance and we operate a zero tolerance approach to disorderly behaviour.'A spokesperson from the PSNI added: 'Police received a report of an assault outside licensed premises in Dundonald on Thursday evening, June 18.'At approximately 11.20pm, it was reported two men were involved in an altercation outside premises in the Dunlady Road area.'Officers attended, and one man was taken to hospital for treatment to injuries not believed to be serious.'The Middle Ale, also home to an off-license, has room for around 60 pubgoers and is adjacent to the Lidl supermarket store in Dundonald, a suburb of Belfast. The pub, which offers recognisable beers on tap such as Estrella and Guinness, is Lidl's way of complying with Northern Ireland's strict and complex alcohol licensing laws. The pub, which offers recognisable beers on tap such as Estrella and Guinness, is Lidl's way of complying with Northern Ireland's strict and complex alcohol licensing laws The pub's bar manager Samantha Hill with Lidl's Regional Managing Director for Northern Ireland Gordon Cruikshanks. It will serve a selection of draft beers as well as Lidl's award-winning wineSupermarkets in the region have two hurdles to overcome before they can sell alcohol. They must first buy a license which has been 'surrendered' by another business in the area, for example, from a local pub closing down. The 'surrender principle' acts as a strict cap on the number of premises which can sell alcohol.Then, the supermarket must pass an 'inadequacy' test by proving the number of existing licensed premises in an area are inadequate to meet the needs of the public.Lidl previously failed the inadequacy test, however, passed the test for a pub as two nearby bars shut their doors in recent years.It then faced a tough battle to open the pub. In January 2025, Lidl faced an objection from Philip Russell Ltd, which runs several off-licences across Northern Ireland - but judge Mr Justice Colton rejected the complaint.This allowed Lidl to use its licence to open a pub and sell alcohol to take away. Speaking at The Middle Ale's opening on Thursday, Regional Managing Director for Lidl Northern Ireland Gordon Cruikshanks described the pub's opening as a 'milestone'. Mr Cruikshanks said: 'We're thrilled to finally bring the Dundonald community access to our full range of high quality, premium beers, wines and spirits for the first time in more than two decades.'We recognise that there has been a great deal of local interest and anticipation around this project, which is why we have taken a measured and responsible approach to its opening, ensuring it complements the local area and provides a high-quality hospitality experience for existing Lidl customers, visitors and residents alike.'The feedback from customers so far has been extremely positive and we're thrilled to toast the Dundonald community today and celebrate bringing our full range to local shoppers, as well as a much-needed community space to serve the thriving town.'