A BLACKBURN man has been jailed for two years over an incident which left another man with serious injuries after he was hit by a car.

Andrew Hill, 29, of Clayton Street, Blackburn, denied deliberately forcing the victim into the roadway by swinging him by the arm.

He was cleared of causing grievous bodily harm with intent to 46-year-old William Bulcock.

But the jury at Preston Crown Court convicted him of an alternative charge of unlawfully causing grievous bodily harm.

Hill maintained that it happened during a fight outside a Blackburn pub which he did not start.

After the guilty verdict, John Maxwell, defending, said: "He bitterly regrets the fact William Bulcock sustained injury in that manner that he did.

"It was never his intention anybody should be hurt in this way.

"He is genuinely remorseful about the consequences of what happened."

He said that Mr Bulcock was most reluctant that Hill should go to prison.

Jailing Hill for two years, Judge Peter Openshaw said there were faults on both sides and in the beginning Mr Bulcock was prepared to have a confrontation in the street and had contemplated that blows would be exchanged.

"A blow at or towards him caused him either to step back or to be knocked back into the road where he was knocked over and suffered quite dreadful and appalling injuries," said Judge Openshaw.