A DOORMAN has had to have a plate inserted into his broken jaw after being attacked at work.

Jimmy Cropper, who works on the door of Madison's Wine Bar, Burnley Road, Rawtenstall, is a former professional boxer

He was working on the door last Friday at 7.45pm when several men were ejected from the pub. While they were being escorted out of the building he was punched from behind by someone he never saw.

Police are appealing for witnesses to the attack or anyone who was in the area of the wine bar at the time to contact them if they know the identity of the attacker.

Father-of-four Jimmy, 39, said it was a miserable Christmas Day because he was only allowed to eat soup and liquidised food.

He said: "I was ejecting someone from the pub when one of his friends went running past and just punched my on the right hand side of my jaw.

"I went back in and threw someone else out and it was about 10 minutes later when I realised I was bleeding."

He was taken to Burnley General Hospital and then called his father, Jim, a farmer and sheep dog trialer who has won the TV show One Man and His Dog, to transport him to Blackburn Royal to the specialist facial injuries unit.

Jimmy, of Turner Street, Stacksteads, then underwent surgery to insert a metal plate in his jaw which will remain therein situ once the bones have healed. The stitches in his mouth will dissolve in time.

He said: "I have boxed for 10 years and started first at the police boxing club in Haslingden before turning professional.

"I never saw him attack me, I was concentrating on the lad I was ejecting and that is maybe why the jaw ended up broken."

Jimmy, who also runs a reclaimed stone business from a yard in Water, has been told to take it easy on the doorman work.

He has been told it will take about six weeks for his jaw to heal and, once it does, he is hoping to return fully to his duties as a doorman.

If anyone has any information about the assault they can contact Rossendale CID on 01706 237442.