A FAMILY night out ended in bloodshed after a pub landlord, his wife and her mother were attacked in a takeaway melee.

Burnley Crown Court heard how Nicholas Kelly, licensee of the Brickmakers pub, was left unconscious on the floor covered in blood, Kerry Kelly was punched and had her head banged against a wall and Mrs Madeline Bennett, an ex-pub landlady, was pushed over.

Mrs Bennett, who had been in the licensed trade for a quarter of a century, had had her bottom pinched at the start of the fracas. She said in a statement the attack on Mr Kelly was the most vicious she had seen.

Two of those involved, Neil Williams, 34, and young dad, Paul Greenwood, 26, were both sent to prison after a judge said there was far too much drunken violence in Burnley.

Judge Barbara Watson said the trouble involved violence towards women and must have been very frightening for those involved.

She went on: "Members of the public should be able to go into shops of this kind without being subjected to offensive behaviour like you were using that evening." Williams, of Downham Grove, Burnley, who used a crutch to strike Mr Kelly and a man who went to his aid, was sentenced to 15 months, after admitting affray.

Greenwood, of Brownhill Avenue, Burnley, pleaded guilty to threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour and was given four months.

Richard Orme, prosecuting, said in March last year, the Kellys and Mrs Bennett went out in Burnley and then to the takeaway in Temple Street.

A group, including the defendants, were being cheeky to the shop worker and one youth pinched Mrs Bennett's bottom.

When Mrs Kelly confronted them, she was laughed at and pulled backwards onto the floor.

Mr Kelly tried to pull his wife away but he was hit, fell to the ground and was kicked to the head and body by four or five youths. Williams then struck him twice with a crutch and when Mrs Kelly went to help her husband, she was grabbed, charged against a wall, had her head banged against it and was punched.

Mr Orme said a man named John McKay came into the shop and went to help the now unconscious Mr Kelly, but was hit by Williams with the crutch.

Mrs Kelly was then punched again and kicked but the assault was stopped by another woman.

Mr Kelly suffered cuts and had difficulty walking and lost his £200 wedding ring in the disturbance.

Mrs Kelly was left bruised and swollen and her mother was bruised and also went to hospital.

Anthony Cross, for Williams, said he was not the instigator but had taken part in unattractive violence.

He had considerable problems and had never faced a jail term before. For Greenwood, Kevin Donnelly said he took no part in any attack on Kerry Kelly, who he knew from school, her mother or Mr McKay. He did not use a weapon but was part of a group involved in violence.

Since the offence, he had addressed his level of alcohol consumption and was determined to make something of his life and not reoffend.