Six Romanian nationals have appeared before Blackburn magistrates and admitted their part in an early morning fracas on a busy main road.

Dashcam footage showed the six attacking two other men at 8am last Tuesday morning outside a newsagents close to Bastwell lights on Whalley New Road.

One of the victims was punched to the floor but then ran off.

The other was knocked to the ground where he was repeatedly punched and kicked, at times by four different assailants.

Bilal Saeed, prosecuting, said at some stage a golf club had been used to hit the second victim.

Niculae Gruia, 28, Lucian Tudor, 31, and Sorin Anghel, 29, all of Cardwell Place, Lonel-iosif Mitrea, 31, and Marian Bojiu, 25, both of Oak Street, and Cristinel Chirla, 49, of Whalley New Road, all Blackburn, pleaded guilty to affray.

They were sent on bail to Preston Crown Court to be sentenced on August 31 after the magistrates ruled their powers of punishment were insufficient.

Mr Saeed said the two victims were outside the shop having a cup of coffee waiting to go to work. They had parked outside the shop and the dash-cam was still active when two other vehicles pulled up.

“They were then assaulted by the six defendants and at some stage a golf club was used,” said Mr Saeed.

He said the most seriously injured victim suffered a significant injury to his mouth and had some teeth knocked out. He also suffered bruising and swelling to his legs and ribs.

Ben Leech, defending five of the defendants, said his clients had pleaded guilty but there were some elements of the prosecution case that were not accepted.

“This wasn’t a targeted assault,” said Mr Leech.

“The defence position is that it was the two victims who targeted a lone male which led to the fracas. I say that in open court so the defendants know their side will be put in full at the appropriate time.”

Trevor Feehily said his client was related to the man who suffered the injuries.

“His firm instruction to me is that his front teeth were already missing and were not knocked out as a result of the incident,” said Mr Feehily.