A Blackburn man who joined in an attack on a taxi driver has been sent to jail for a year.

A court heard that the victim was attacked during his first night in the job.

Attacker Danny Riley, claimed he had been at home, but he was captured on CCTV at a supermarket where the taxi stopped.

Riley, 23, of Beechwood Drive, Blackburn, pleaded guilty to an actual bodily harm assault, which took place in April.

The driver picked up two men from the Park Hotel pub, Montague Street, and initially, the mood in the taxi was good.

Hugh Barton, prosecuting, said that there was a request to go to the ASDA store, where some beer was bought before the journey continued.

As the taxi approached Waterloo Close a passenger in the front suddenly attacked the Asian driver.

He was pulling the victim's head down and shouting at him in racist terms.

At this stage Riley, who was sat in the rear, began to punch the driver from behind and held on to him.

The driver later managed to shut the door and drive off.

An investigation showed that Riley had originally called the taxi.

Ciaran Rankin, defending, said that Riley had been drinking to excess for many years and needed help to address that problem.

The barrister added "The defendant says he hit the driver a number of times around the head."