A PEACEMAKER was left with his jaw broken in two places after being punched during an unprovoked attack in a Burnley pub.

Iain McLean, from Burnley, was enjoying a quiet drink at the Turf Hotel in Yorkshire Street on Saturday night when he intervened in a dispute between two men who were arguing over which pint was theirs.

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The 60-year-old now has two permanent plates in his jaw and 40 stitches in his chin and has been signed off work for three weeks.

Mr McLean, a father-of-five, who works nights at the William Reed factory in Nelson, said: “I had just been outside for a cigarette, walked back in and within 30 seconds I had been punched in the face for telling a lad he picked up the wrong pint.

“He just lashed out and broke my jaw in two places. His instant reaction was to punch.

“Then he just walked away as if nothing had happened.

“That was the first time I had been out in five weeks. I work night shifts so do not normally go out, but I was on holiday.

“In hindsight, I should not have got involved in somebody else’s problem. I should have kept myself to myself.

“I thought he would just have said ‘it is my drink’ or told me to get lost. I did not think he would lash out like that. It was completely unexpected.”

The grandfather-of-eight said when he was hit he bent over and realised his bottom denture was broken.

He then left the pub and as he was walking to the bus stop he felt something was ‘not quite right’ and there was a ‘bit of a crunch’.

He got in a taxi to Burnley General Hospital before he was transferred to Royal Blackburn Hospital and had surgery the next day to insert two plates in his jaw.

Describing himself as looking like cartoon character Desperate Dan, Mr McLean, said: “I am feeling a little bit tender and my ego is bruised.”

He said he is also on a liquid diet and finding it hard to sleep because of the stitches causing him discomfort.

“I’m okay, but in the future I will be a bit more cautious about putting myself in a situation. I will be more likely to back away,” he added.

Police are appealing for witnesses to the incident which happened between 9.45am and 10.30pm.

DC Lee Walker said: “This was a completely unprovoked attack on a man who was just trying to act as peacemaker when he ended up being punched so hard he had to have surgery on his jaw.

“If you witnessed this assault or have any information that could help us with our investigation, please get in touch.”

The offender is described as a white, between 25 to 30, 5ft 9ins tall, of a stocky build, with blonde or ginger short hair and a pale complexion.