A MAN had part of his lip bitten off during a brawl in a Blackburn pub, a court was told.

The town's magistrates heard that Carl Richard Roberts, who started the fight, bit another man who attacked him.

But after Roberts had walked away his victim continued to lash out, head-butting a woman and knocking another female over a table.

Roberts, 34, of Haslingden Old Road, Blackburn, pleaded guilty to affray. He was made subject to a community rehabilitation order for 12 months and ordered to do 50 hours' community punishment and pay £65 costs.

Joanne Close, prosecuting, said the incident had occurred in the Jubilee pub shortly after midnight. Roberts was with a group of friends and there was another group nearby.

"Without provocation Roberts went up to a man called Tony Aspinall and began to punch him," said Mrs Close. "A man called Kenneth Dunn then intervened and during a fight between him and Roberts he had part of his lower lip bitten off.

"Roberts admitted starting the fight and biting Mr Dunn, but said it was only as a result of him being bitten by Mr Dunn."

Michael Blacklidge, defending, said: "Any injuries to Mr Dunn were in self defence and my client does not accept responsibility for that."

He said Roberts, a self-employed mechanic who runs his own garage on Haslingden Old Road, had been antagonised by Mr Aspinall and accepted that he had hit him.

"My client was pinned down by Mr Dunn who went on to head-butt a lady and push another over a table," he added.