A West Cumbrian footballer who broke a man's nose with a headbutt has been handed a suspended jail sentence.

Thomas James Mahone, 21, of Weddicar Gardens, Cleator Moor, appeared before magistrates on Tuesday and pleaded guilty to two charges of assault.

The court heard Mahone had been drinking at Thirty Two in Workington on February 18 after playing football when he bumped into Owen Adair, who he knew due to a long-standing family dispute.

Pamela Fee, prosecuting, told the court that Mr Adair offered to shake hands with Mahone and suggested they keep away from each other but Mahone headbutted him, breaking his nose.

Later, outside the bar, Mr Adair's friend Ben McCullough asked what had happened and was punched in the face by Mahone.

Statements were read from both victims which said they had been left anxious to go out drinking with friends and the court heard Mr Adair would require further surgery on his nose as a result of the attack.

Emily Smith, defending, told the court that Mahone was remorseful.

She added: "He accepts that he was drinking at the time and it was simply one of those things."

Mahone, a Sellafield worker, was handed an 18-week jail sentence suspended for one year for the headbutt, and a six-week concurrent jail sentence for the punch, also suspended.

Magistrates also ordered him to complete 100 hours of unpaid work and pay £1,000 compensation to Mr Adair, £150 to Mr McCullough and £300 costs.

Presiding magistrate Vanessa Graham said: "These were two serious assaults while you were drinking and they could have easily escalated in a public place.

"There are ongoing effects to both victims and it was an extremely nasty incident."