A FRIENDLY chat on a bus ended in violence when a 20 year old Great Harwood man punched another man in the face.

Blackburn magistrates heard that when the victim asked Adrian James Guilfoyle why he had attacked him, the response was another blow which split his lip.

Guilfoyle, 20, of Noble Street, Great Harwood, pleaded guilty to assaulting Imran Nawaz causing him actual bodily harm.

He was remanded on bail for the preparation of pre-sentence reports.

Andy Robinson, prosecuting, said Guilfoyle and a friend got on the bus at the same time as Mr Nawaz.

They did not know each other but struck up a conversation which a female witness had described as "light-hearted."

As Mr Nawaz was leaving the bus, Guilfoyle suddenly hit him very hard in the face, which caused him to fall down.

"As Mr Nawaz got up, he asked Guilfoyle why he had hit him and the reply was another punch this time in the lip," said Mr Robinson.

"This was effectively an unprovoked attack which caused significant injury."

Andrew Church-Taylor, defending, said Guilfoyle had previously worked as a boner and butcher for Slingers Meats in Great Harwood and during the conversation Mr Nawaz said he was employed in the same job by the same company.

"My client had served his apprenticeship in that trade and it was clear to him that Mr Nawaz was not as qualified as he claimed to be," said Mr Church-Taylor.

"The majority of the conversation was between Mr Nawaz and the third man but my client was listening and it began to annoy him."

Mr Church-Taylor said Guilfoyle had applied to join the Royal Marines and was due to attend a three-day course, starting on December 6.