A WOMAN on a night out with her soldier husband suffered a broken nose after being attacked by a gang of women, a court was told.

Blackburn magistrates heard that Julie Perry admitted punching Haley Wallbank to the floor and then kicking her in the head during the early morning incident in Blackburn town centre.

And she was warned that a custodial sentence remains an option when she is sentenced.

Perry, 36, of Holmbrook Close, Blackburn, pleaded guilty to assaulting Mrs Wallbank and was remanded on bail for the preparation of a pre-sentence report.

Claire Fanning, prosecuting, said Mrs Wallbank and her husband, who are living in Germany, were visiting Blackburn.

They had been out in the town centre and at about 2am Mrs Wallbank became separated from her husband and went looking for him.

"At that point she saw five females leaving Bar Life and asked if they had seen her husband," said Miss Fanning. "The next thing she recalls is lying on the floor with two females kicking her in the face.

"She heard her husband's voice and then she was being put in the ambulance."

Jonathan Taylor, defending, said "We say Mrs Wallbank actually punched one of the friends of my client and my client reacted in defence of that friend when she punched Mrs Wallbank."