A FATHER and son who were involved in a family dispute which 'boiled over' in public, have both been spared jail.

Burnley Crown Court was told how Mohammed Ansar, 51, started the incident in a Nelson back street, by waylaying a car with two relations in.

His co-defendant Atif Ali Ansar, 24, had been summoned, was armed with a baseball bat and set about attacking the vehicle by smashing the windows.

Minor injuries were caused in the 'fight,' which took place on the evening of June 6, last year.

Madassir Hussain, who had been at the wheel of the damaged car, was the nephew of Mohammed Ansar and Atif Ansar and Abid Sajjad, 22, who was also alleged to have joined in with the defendants, were both his cousins.

The hearing was told the row, which arose out of a divorce, was long-standing and there seemed to have been an ongoing dispute over a property, which may have fuelled the fall-out.

Mohammed Ansar and his son, both of Ashton Drive, Nelson, admitted affray. Atif Ansar also pledged guilty to possessing an offensive weapon. The father received 14 weeks in prison, suspended for a year, while his son was given 12 weeks in jail, suspended for 12 months.

Abid Sajjad, 22, of Manchester Road, Nelson, was cleared of playing any part in the incident, on the day the trio were due to face trial.

The court was told Mohammed Ansar had been in his car when he saw two family members in a car They tried to leave, the defendant blocked their way with his car, shouted at them and then phoned his son.

Sentencing, Recorder Andrew Edis, QC, told the defendants what they had done was 'disgraceful and serious conduct.'

He said: "This is frightening behaviour and something that ought never to take place in any public street. The use of violence in furtherance of family disputes is a serious aggravating feature."