AN irate father of three who attacked a "boy racer" in a road rage melee has been warned he could be facing jail.

Burnley magistrates heard how depressed Mohammed Arshad, 38, thumped victim Simon Brook, 23, after Mr Brook cut in front of him on a motorway slip road.

Arshad, said to have claimed he was a gangster, later told police he was upset because his mother had just died and if he had been killed there would be nobody to put flowers on her grave.

Arshad, of Railway Street, Nelson, admitted assault by beating, on September 3. He was bailed until November 29 for a pre-sentence report and was told custody was not being ruled out.

Carl Gaffney, prosecuting, told the court Mr Brook was coming off the M65. He was going to go one way, changed his mind and then went another.

The manoeuvre caused the defendant to have to take evasive action to avoid a crash. Arshad then followed Mr Brook into Nelson.

Mr Brook apologised to the defendant and tried to calm him down. Arshad got out of his car, shouting obscenities and told the complainant he was an animal. He then punched Mr Brook in the face and kicked him in the thigh.

John Greenwood, defending, said Arshad accepted he remonstrated with Mr Brook, asked him what he was playing at and said he nearly killed him.

The strike was a slap rather than a punch, he said, and the defendant kicked out at Mr Brook. Arshad thought Mr Brook, who was with a passenger in his "boy racer sports car," did not take the matter seriously.

The defendant was depressed because of his mother's death and was off work sick. He knew in the cold light of day he shouldn't have behaved as he did and his conduct was totally out of character.