Horrified shoppers watched on as a man was hit with a fire extinguisher during a town centre attack in broad daylight.

Members of the public called 999 after witnessing the four-man brawl in Falcon Place, Workington, around 12pm on June 24.

Carlisle Crown Court heard that the incident was sparked by an earlier confrontation between Peter Edgar and the man who ended up being attacked.

While riding his bike Edgar, 49, who has suffered with a heroin addiction, heard this man make a comment about his drug use and it resulted in the pair having an altercation.

Edgar, of Corporation Road, Workington, is then believed to have said: "Don't go anywhere I'm coming back with my mates."

It was then that he rang co-defendant William Bishop and another unknown man to come and join him.

The group then found the man again in the town centre.

He was sprayed with foam from the fire extinguisher before the men "piled in" to attack him.

Tim Evans, prosecuting, said: "Come the end of the incident he says he was hit by the fire extinguisher and he was kicked and struck."

The man sustained serious injuries to his head and had to go to the Cumberland Infirmary in Carlisle.

After the incident Edgar called the police and alleged he'd been the victim of an assault and theft, referring to the first incident.

Another person Danielle Scott, a friend of Bishop's family, was then roped into the incident. The 21-year-old of Moorclose Road, Workington, was "persuaded" to give a false statement to the police saying she witnessed the incident in an attempt to help the accounts of Edgar and Bishop.

"This become a very violent incident indeed," said Recorder Philip Curran.

"The people of Workington deserve to be able to go out shopping on a Saturday without witnessing this sort of violent behaviour."

Both Edgar and Bishop, 40, faced charges of affray while Bishop, of Whitefield Court, Workington, faced an additional charge of attempting to pervert the course of justice.

Scott was also charged with attempting to pervert the course of justice.

Recorder Curran handed Edgar a 14-month prison sentence while Bishop, described as the "helping hand" in the affray was given a one-year sentence alongside a further six months for the perverting charge. No separate penalty was given to Bishop for breaching a suspended sentence.

Scott was given a six-month prison sentence, suspended for 18 months. She must also adhere to a curfew for two months.