Clan members keep the police in Essen on their toes: On Wednesday night, after a tip about masked people, the officers discovered eleven men who, according to the police report, "all without exception could be assigned to an extended Arab family".

Two live pistols and ammunition were found in a car attributed to the group.

The pistols were already "ready for action".

The dispute between two clans has occupied the police for the fifth day in a row.

The first clash was last Saturday: 400 people fought in the Altendorf district, one man was seriously injured.

A mass brawl broke out on Sunday.

Four suspects were found with guns in a car on Monday.

On Tuesday evening, the police said they were informed that a so-called "magistrate of the peace" had been called in to resolve the conflict between the two family clans involved.

A few hours later - on Wednesday morning at two o'clock - the masked people appeared in Borbeck, a neighboring district of Altendorf.

The special unit for clans of the Essen police and the public prosecutor's office are now investigating dangerous and simple bodily harm, serious breaches of the peace and violations of the weapons law.

"The investigations, which also aim to shed light on the background to the conflict, are ongoing."

In the current case, according to a spokesman, the police let all eleven men go after they were given places.

Because the weapons could not be specifically assigned.