A man who launched a road-rage attack on a student driving home to Whalley has been jailed for 90 days.

Blackburn magistrates heard Elliot Hodkinson was forced off the road as he attempted to take the sharp bend at Painter Wood, Billington, and then attacked by a man who climbed in through his passenger door.

The court heard Stewart Andrew Mason repeatedly punched his victim before pouring a bottle of drink over him.

Mason, 21, of Clifton Street, Rishton, pleaded guilty to assaulting Mr Hodkinson and as well as the prison sentence, was ordered to pay £100 compensation on release.

Claire Fanning, prosecuting, said Mr Hodkinson was driving along Whalley Old Road around 6.30pm on a Saturday in September when he came up behind another car.

"That vehicle was doing about 40mph and as soon as it was safe he overtook it," said Miss Fanning.

"The car then began to follow him very closely and he pulled over to let it pass but it didn't. When Mr Hodkinson accelerated, the other vehicle also accelerated."

As Mr Hodkinson approached Painter Wood he swung wide to negotiate the sharp left-hand bend and the other vehicle came up on his nearside and forced him on to some gravel.

"At that point, the defendant came in through the passenger door and lunged at Mr Hodkinson," said Miss Fanning.

"He hit him about the head and face and then poured a bottle of Blue WKD over him."

Miss Fanning said that throughout the attack Mr Hodkinson had been sounding his horn to try and attract assistance.

Andrew Church-Taylor, defending, said his client accepted punching the other man and was ashamed of that.

But he said there was some discrepancy in the two versions of what had led up to the incident.

He said Mason claimed he was a passenger in the car being driven by his girlfriend down a narrow country lane when it was overtaken at speed by the car driven by Mr Hodkinson.

The other car then began braking and accelerating away and his girlfriend was very concerned.

"When they got to Painter Wood he approached the other driver and asked what was going on and he says the other man reacted in an aggressive way," said Mr Church-Taylor.

"My client accepts that he then punched and pushed the other man but he denies pouring the drink over him. Despite that the outcome is that he has committed an act of road rage."

Imposing a custodial sentence, the chairman said the attack had been unprovoked,