A BURNLEY water polo player was smacked in the eye and put in hospital after he was allegedly attacked by a rival player, a jury heard.

Burnley Crown Court was told how Jon Williamson suffered serious injury after he was said to have been punched by Christopher Brooks, a member of the opposing team from Radcliffe, in a match at Gannow Baths.

Brooks strode across the shallow end of the pool and hit Mr Williamson once in the side of the face after the

referee took the ball away from Radcliffe and gave it to the home team. The defendant later apologised to his alleged victim but told police he had been acting in self defence, the court was told.

Brooks, 37, of Camden Close, Ainsworth, near Bury, denies inflicting grievous bodily harm, last November 20.

Tim Storrie, prosecuting, told the court the blow to Mr Williamson's eye, during a Northern County League game, was deliberate and the defendant had no excuse.

Water polo demanded a high level of fitness, was a robust game and was perhaps a little like water-based rugby. There was, although the rules prevented it, a lot of contact between teams.

The alleged offence, in the goal mouth at the Burnley end in the last quarter of the game, was not part of the match and was not excusable as being a matter of instinct or reaction.

Mr Storrie told the jury a change of possession had been ordered and the referee had taken the ball from Radcliffe and given it to Burnley. The Radcliffe team lost advantage.

Mr Williamson found himself moving away from Brooks. The defendant was then seen to stand up, stride across the shallow end of the baths, follow the complainant and punch him, inflicting really serious injury.

Mr Williamson suffered a massive bleed and building up of pressure at the back of his eye. He was taken to hospital for treatment and was kept in for a "considerable time."

The prosecutor said Mr Williamson had been approached by a man he didn't know who apologised to him. Mr Storrie continued: "That was more than an expression of regret for the injury.

"The prosecution say that the defendant apologised for what he had done, having no excuse for having punched him."

Mr Storrie said at the beginning of last December police went to speak to Brooks and it was arranged for him to attend the police station. When he was interviewed, the defendant claimed he was not responsible for any deliberate punch.

"He alleged he had been acting in self defence.

Mr Storrie went on: "The prosecution does not accept he was acting in self defence. The prosecution say that that could not arise."

Proceeding