Three Britons were arraigned in court today in connection with a road rage incident which yesterday also saw two Maltese accused of attempted murder.

Gary Cooper, 29, Terence Cooper 59, and Michelle Cooper 22, all from Liverpool, pleaded not guilty to having taken part in a fight where Noel Falzon suffered an abrasion to his nose which might leave a permanent scar.

A police request for evidence to be heard immediately was denied because of the other case. The three were granted bail against a personal guarantee of €5,000 each and ordered not to leave the island - they own a flat at Xemxija.

They may, however, file a separate application to leave.

The alleged incident happened at St Paul's Bay on Sunday night, soon after the Britons arrived in Malta.

The Coopers were on their way to dinner in a rented car when they allegedly failed to stop at a stop sign and almost crashed into a car with two men inside.

A heated argument ensued and the two men followed the family down the road in their Volkswagen Passat until they pulled over and the argument escalated.

Gary Dennis Cooper alighted as his parents and sister remained in the car. A fight followed in which Mr Cooper received 13 blows to the head and required sutures to his face and head. At one point, his sister, Michelle, also got involved and was hit on her left eye. The parents were at no time involved in the argument.

Noel Falzon, 21, a security guard from Birkirkara, and his unemployed friend, Anthony Muscat, 19, of St Paul's Bay, yesterday appeared before Magistrate Antonio Mizzi in connection with the incident.