AN EAST Lancs man visiting Blackpool for a trades fair assaulted a woman chip shop worker and kicked in a door when asked to stop being rowdy, Blackpool Magistrates heard.

In court on Tuesday, Richard Potter, 27, of Thomas Street, Oswaldtwistle, admitted assaulting assistant Ashleigh Richards and causing damage.

Kirsten McAteer, prosecuting, told the court that on May 8 a group of men went into the Bond Street chip shop. They were being rowdy but became abusive, shouting and swearing, when asked to calm down, she said.

"The manager asked them to leave. The defendant went up to the manager and pushed him. As Miss Richards came to the manager's aid, the defendant punched her twice," she told magistrates.

While he was being thrown out by staff, he kicked the shop door which cracked, the court also heard.

John McLaren, defending, said Potter was attending at trade fair in Blackpool. He and his friends had been drinking but were not drunk, he said. Potter denied punching the woman but admitted pushing her, saying she had fallen back into a table.

Magistrates bailed Potter and adjourned the case until June 3 to fix a date for a hearing of evidence from prosecution and defence witnesses.