Blackburn magistrates heard the two men were separated by the restaurateur at the Coach and Horses, Bolton-by-Bowland, who was then assaulted by Stephen Mark Pilling.

Pilling (48), of Reedley Road, Reedley, Burnley, admitted racially aggravated assault on Neville Govender and assaulting Ross Heywood.

He was sentenced to 16 weeks in prison suspended for 12 months, ordered to do 120 hours unpaid work and pay £250 compensation to Mr Govender, £100 to Mr Heywood and £770 costs.

Philippa White (prosecuting) said there had been difficulties between the two men in the past and on the night of the incident Mr Govender was already in the Coach and Horses when Pilling, a father of five, came in.

The defendant started saying things, but Mr Govender ignored him. He went outside for a cigarette but Pilling was already there and Mr Govender thought better of it and decided to go back into the pub.

"As he did he was grabbed from behind by the neck and taken to the floor and his head rammed against the door," said Mrs White. "During the attack he made several racist remarks."

Mr Govender tried to defend himself and the two men were rolling about on the floor when Mr Heywood came out and pulled them apart. He was trying to restrain Pilling when they both fell backwards into a plant pot.

John Nuttall (defending) said his client was full of remorse. He had initially pleaded not guilty mainly because of the racially aggravated element of the charge. "His wife is Asian and he is not a racist," said Mr Nuttall. "The language he used makes it racially aggravated, but it was not racially motivated."