A PUB landlord has spoken of his shock after he was glassed in the face in an alleged attack.

Bill Joyce, 57, who runs The Vauxhall pub in Redlam, Blackburn, with his partner Carol Hackett, was left covered in blood following the incident just before midnight on Mon-day.

He suffered a cut on his face and was kept in for X-rays at Royal Blackburn Hospital overnight.

Mr Joyce, who also runs the Moorgate Arms, Livesey Branch Road, Blackburn, said he had returned to The Vauxhall with his pool team after a match in Intack when an alleged assault took place.

He said: “I had beer thrown at me and then a pint glass. I was shocked there was so much blood from a little cut.”

Immediately after the incident, Mr Joyce claimed a stool was thrown, the outside A-Board hurled through the door and three windows smashed by glass bottles.

The downstairs windows remained boarded up yesterday.

He added: “It could have been a lot worse. I’m thankful for small mercies.

“It could have been more serious if it had gone into my eyes.”

Mr Joyce said he didn’t realise he had been cut until he looked down at his blood-soaked clothes.

“It was just a cut, but within five minutes part of my face had swollen up to the size of a golf ball.

“The doctors said the a vein inside my mouth had been cut, which is what has caused all the bruising.

“They had to make another cut to drain all the blood away.”

His partner Carol, 52, had been upstairs and came rushing down when she heard the commotion.

She said: “At first my view was blocked, but when I saw Bill covered in blood it was a real shock.”

l A 22-year-old from Blackburn has been charged with grievous bodily harm and criminal damage.