FIVE youths who took part in a melee which left two teenage brothers injured -- one by a baseball bat -- have kept their freedom.

Burnley Crown Court heard how the brothers had been drinking and had shouted abuse at the five, and a judge said if any of the defendants had had any previous convictions for violence, they would have gone to custody.

Nadeem Hussain, 21, of Park Road, Azim Karim, 22 of Princess Street, Nadeem Khan, 21, of Tremellan Street, Tanveer Khan, 20,of Willows Lane and Azar Khan, 20, of College Street, all Accrington, had all earlier admitted affray.

They were all given 100 hours community punishment.

Sentencing them, Judge Raymond Bennett said he had seen videos of what went on in Accrington late at night when people were fuelled by drink and he could picture what happened. He said a five on to two attack could not be tolerated -- nor could the use of a baseball bat -- but all were of previous good character and no doubt had had something to drink.

The judge added the complainants may well have shouted abuse and nobody would ever know who started shouting first.

But it would have been much better if the five had driven on instead of stopping their car.

Mark Lamberty, prosecuting, said in January the victims, brothers aged 18 and 15 had been to several pubs and left one pub at about closing time.

They were walking towards a taxi rank in Accrington, the defendants were going past in a car and abuse was exchanged between the two parties. The car stopped further up the road and one person got out armed with a rounders bat.

Others got out of the vehicle and followed him and the 18 year old was hit and knocked to the ground.

The 18 year old felt dizzy, dazed and tried to protect himself but was hit while on the ground.

He suffered a lump to his head, a chipped tooth and cut nose.

Mr Lamberty said the defendants then went over to the 15-year-old and brought him to the ground.

He was then kicked about the body, covered himself up and at one point felt somebody stamping on him.

A taxi driver saw the boy being kicked and punched.

The 15-year-old suffered bruises and was off school for a week.

The defendants' car was stopped a short time later at a petrol station in Accrington.

When the five were interviewed, all agreed they had been present at the incident but said they had been attacked.