A 21-YEAR-OLD man who joined in an "unprovoked" attack at a takeaway has been put on a curfew by magistrates.

Burnley magistrates heard how Tony Payne was said to have boasted to police he had beaten up the victim and left him for dead.

He seemed proud of his actions and his reputation for being "hard".

Payne later admitted to officers he had punched Ken Morrow once in the head.

Payne, of Colne Road, Burnley, admitted assault by beating on April 22.

He was put on a 60-day curfew, between 7pm and 7am, seven days a week, and must pay £60 costs.

Sophie Lorimer, prosecuting, told the court the victim was in the Pizza Box, in Colne Road, when he suddenly found himself on the floor, being attacked by two men.

Mr Morrow tried to cover his face and head and was hit over and over and over again, in a minute-long assault.

Mr Morrow felt dazed, the two men left and an ambulance was called and he was taken to hospital.

He suffered a black eye and swollen lip.

Mrs Lorimer said police were called to a disturbance at an address in Colne Road and noticed Payne and another man were wearing clothing matching the description of the two men in the takeaway.

Payne claimed to them a man had been abusive to him at the Pizza Box. He told police he had beaten up the man and left him for dead and seemed proud of himself.

The prosecutor said the other man involved in the assault was given a caution.

When the defendant was interviewed, he said he remembered the other man scuffling with somebody and he had hit the victim once in the head. Payne had not been in trouble since 2004.

David Lawson, defending, said the man who received the caution had been the main aggressor and this was Payne's first conviction for violence.

He said Payne's comments to the police were "foolish bravado", and that the defendant, who had been drinking, volunteered information to police.