Two men have been jailed for chasing a group of women through streets wielding "terrifying" machetes in broad daylight following a brawl in a nearby public house.

Tyrone Charles, aged 52 years, became involved in a pub brawl on a bright summer evening last year with a group of women - causing him to call on his friend 50-year-old Mark Phelps, for help.

The two defendants and the three women then met outside on the pub car park where one of the women produced a wooden mallet which she used to smash the windscreen of Charles' vehicle.

Charles then took a large machete out of his trousers' waistband and Phelps took another out of his van - and the pair gave chase to the women who ran down the streets to hide.

The incident, which took place in broad daylight on August 20 last year outside the busy Bull & Chequers pub in Woodley, Berks., was described as "terrifying" for members of the public present at the scene.

Judge Sarah Campbell, sentencing both men at Reading Crown Court on Wednesday said: "I have seen the enhanced CCTV footage of the incident and those were two terrifying weapons that were being run through the streets of Woodley on a summer evening, next to what was an undoubtedly busy pub."

Summarising the facts for the court, prosecutor Jonathan Sank said a fight first broke out between Charles and a group of women who were drinking at the pub. During this initial brawl, one of the women hit Charles with a sign.

Mr Sank said: "The police were alerted by a call shortly after 7pm that there was a fight taking place at a pub in Woodley. The people involved left the scene after the initial fight and returned a few minutes later.

"An argument took place by the vehicles in the car park and a woman from the rival group removed a wooden mallet from her upper clothing and used it to smash the windscreen of the BMW belonging to Charles.

"Charles had a machete in his trousers and he took it out. Mr Phelps went to a van and removed another machete from it - and the two chased the women, brandishing those weapons."

The judge heard how the women ran away and hid in bushes until the two defendants stopped looking for them and left the scene.

Mr Sank said: "The police later attended the address of Mr Charles and both men were found and arrested at this address."

A large knife which had been used in the attack was found at Charles' house - but the other machete remains at large.

Judge Campbell said: "One of the machetes was found but the other was not and this is of great concern to the court."

The two men admitted one count of possession of a bladed article and appeared in court on Wednesday for sentencing.

The background to this altercation also remains unknown as the defendants "chose not to tell what this was about," the court heard.

Charles, from Copenhagen Close in Reading, Berks., and Phelps, from Saunders Road in Oxford,  were both sentenced to 18 months in prison.