Sticks and stones can break your bones and, it turns out, get you into trouble with capital authorities.

Police said they were called to the street outside a Por Sen Chey district nightclub early yesterday when neighbours phoned in about two groups battling it out with rocks and branches.

Seven members of the rival gangs were cuffed and taken in for questioning, then advised to settle their disputes with words, not weapons, before being set free.

Koh Santepheap