A banger racer who assaulted a drunken man who he claimed had been staring at his girlfriend has been described by a judge as a 'Neanderthal'.

Blackburn magistrates heard the single punch thrown by Garrie Mirza left the victim with a broken nose and chipped teeth.

He subsequently contacted Mirza and said if he paid him £3,750 to cover his dental work he would not make a statement to the police.

Mirza, 32, of Parlick Avenue, Longridge, pleaded guilty to assault causing actual bodily harm.

He was made subject to a community order for 12 months with 100 hours unpaid work.

He was ordered to pay £500 compensation, £85 costs and £114 victim surcharge.

District Judge Alexandra Preston said Mirza had been with his mother, daughter and his partner who tried to stop him when he went towards the other man.

"Your behaviour can only be described as Neanderthal," she said.

"A mature 33 year old man ought to have dealt with the situation in a completely different way."

Bilal Saeed, prosecuting, said Mirza had been competing in a banger racing meeting in Kings Lynn, Norfolk.

The victim had little recollection of what had happened until friends told him the next day.

Graeme Parkinson, in mitigation, said his client had been sat in the bar after racing with his partner and their child, and his mother.

"He went upstairs for one drink and he refutes any suggestion that his behaviour was influenced by alcohol," said Mr Parkinson.

"The victim came and sat at their table and was staring at my client's partner. He got up, stood over him and asked him to stop. The other man refused and my client accepts he saw the red mist."

Mr Parkinson said the following morning Mirza was leaving his hotel when he came across the victim and they had a conversation.

"He admitted he had been on the drink all day and some time later he contacted my client and said if he paid him £3,750 for his teeth they would leave it," said Mr Parkinson.

"He accepts his reaction wasn't justified."