A BURNLEY magistrate and community worker was hit on the head with a house brick as he walked home from a friend's house.

Blackburn magistrates heard that as he was attacked, Mohammed Mia heard one of the two teenagers who attacked him shout: "You are a grass, we said we would sort you out and we have."

Mohammed Alamin Hussain, 18, of Belford Street, Burnley, pleaded guilty to assaulting Mr Mia causing him actual bodily harm. He was committed in custody for sentence at Preston Crown Court.

Neil White, prosecuting, said the fact that Mr Mia was a JP was not believed to be relevant to the attack. He said Mr Mia was also a community outreach worker who had been involved in community life for over 25 years.

He said that in November there was an incident in Burnley which led to Mr Mia making a statement to the police.

He had been to visit a friend and was walking home along Broom Street at round 10pm.

"He noticed Hussain and another youth on the opposite side of the road and they began walking towards him shouting "son of a bitch", said Mr White.

"Hussain swung his right arm and Mr Mia saw he had half a brick in his hand."

Hussain struck the JP on the head and then hit him on the jaw, both times with the brick, before punching him in the face. At the same time the other youth shouted the "grass" comment.

Graham Tindall, defending, said there had been bad blood between Hussain's family and the aggrieved's family for a number of years. "My client had been drinking and when he saw the aggrieved he saw red," said Mr Tindall.