BAD blood between two families erupted in violence at the end of a hot sunny July day and ended with blood being spilled.

Blackburn magistrates heard that Inez Markham attacked neighbour Veronica Hindle, punching her repeatedly in the face.

And when Miss Hindle's partner, Roger Martin, tried to intervene he was attacked by a group of males including Darren Lonsdale, who lived with Markham.

Markham, 32, of Shakespeare Way, Blackburn, pleaded guilty to assault and Lonsdale, 37, of Oakenhurst Road, Blackburn, pleaded guilty to using threatening behaviour. Markham was ordered to do 150 hours community punishment and pay £200 compensation to Miss Hindle.

Lonsdale was ordered to do 120 hours community punishment and pay £100 compensation to Mr Martin and £100 costs.

District judge Paul Firth said he accepted that Lonsdale was one of a number of men who attacked Mr Martin and while a weapon was used there was nothing to suggest Lonsdale had used it. Markham had been solely responsible for the attack on Miss Hindle which had come at the end of a hot day when both sides of the dispute had been drinking.

He said it was clear that there was a dispute between the defendants and their children and the other couple and their children.

"It is plain that had you not had alcohol you would not have resorted to these measures," said Mr Firth. "However, violence of this sort is not acceptable in any civilised society. Violence of this sort in front of children is wholly abhorrent."

Michael Blacklidge, defending, said it had been a very difficult situation which had come to a very unfortunate end. "Children who don't get on percolates through to the parents and you can never unravel the situation back to where it started," said Mr Blacklidge. "On the day it was an unfortunate combination of sun and alcohol."