A LANDLORD of a city centre pub told how he was held to the ground and beaten in a totally unprovoked attack this week.

Licensee of the Water Witch, Nigel Keene, was shocked by the attack because trouble is so rare in the pub.

He remembered: "The whole thing blew up out of nothing. There was a couple of lads with a group of friends who were doing something they shouldn't and we asked them to leave. They were fine about it and there was no trouble when they left. They were completely innocent in this.

"But one of their friends came outside and started being a big naughty. He started mouthing off and being nasty so I said he couldn't come back.

He said "my jacket's in there," so I went to retrieve it for him and his mate was in. I told him the story and he was fine. He came out with me and we chatted, we were even having a joke.

"But as soon as we got outside he turned on me. It was out of nothing, we were talking away one minute and he turned on me the next. He pushed me to the floor and held me while the other one, who was already outside, punched me on the head a few times.

"Some customers came outside to help and of course as soon as they saw them they were off. They gave me some verbals as they left. The further and further away they got the more bravado they showed. "I couldn't move my jaw for two days afterwards. My face is still bruised and sore." Nigel explained that he had been involved in running pubs for ten years but this was the first time he had ever been hit. It is the first time there has been any trouble at all at the popular Water Witch for about a year.

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