TWO men arrested after an early hours melee outside a Nelson nightclub have admitted taking part in the brawl.

Burnley Magistrates heard how trouble erupted outside the Good Night club in the early hours of last Sunday and was captured on CCTV, which was played to the court.

The prosecution told the bench how it involved an unprovoked "group attack" with stamping and kicking to victims on the ground.

Kieran Michael Denton, 22, of Fir Street, Nelson, pleaded guilty to affray in relation to the incident while Marc Patrick Holden, 20, of Cravendale Avenue, Nelson, admitted affray and assault causing actual bodily harm.

Kieron Paul Fawcett, 24, of Clover Hill Road, Nelson, is charged with affray and Michael Riding, 19, of Napier Street, Nelson, is accused of affray and assault causing actual bodily harm. Neither men entered a plea.

Carl Gaffney, prosecuting, told the court police went to a disturbance at the club, on Stanley Street.

Police dealt with a melee and found three Asian men had been attacked.

There was no suggestion of any racially aggravated aspect to the case.

The victims had been set upon by a gang of white men.

Mr Gaffney said officers ascertained what had gone on.

The prosecutor, who played the CCTV footage to the justices, said it made "difficult viewing."

The three alleged victims "rather surprisingly" suffered only cuts and bruises.

The prosecutor said the four defendants were arrested and interviewed.

Denton was questioned in the presence of his solicitor.

He claimed he had been drinking at a pub before going to the club and trouble had flared.

He said he had not acted in an aggressive manner and had tried to calm the situation down.

The defendant ultimately accepted he had been involved but said he had not gone out of his way to harm anybody.

Mr Gaffney said Holden, who was not arrested at the scene, surrendered himself to the police.

He accepted he had been drunk and that he had been involved in a fight.

When he was shown the CCTV evidence he was upset and acknowledged he was the man who had punched two of the Asian victims and kicked a third whilst he was on the ground.

He told officers he was disgusted with himself.

Denton and Holden were committed to the crown court for sentencing on February 22.

Fawcett and Riding will appear at Burnley Magistrates on January 29.