TWO brothers arrested after a pre-Christmas disturbance were upset their father had been attacked in a pub, a court was told.

Burnley Magistrates heard how father-to-be Wayne Michael Poole, 23, and father-of-two John Paul Poole, 25, had been thrown out of the Orange House in Burnley and were aggressive when police turned up.

Wayne Poole, of Gannow Lane, Burnley, and John Poole, of Fenny Fold Terrace, Padiham, both admitted threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour in December 2002. They were each given a 12 months conditional discharge and were told to pay £55 costs.

Dylan Bradshaw, defending, said John Poole had no previous convictions while his brother was very lightly convicted.

Both were hard-working, family men and their behaviour was out of character. The pair had been celebrating their last day at work before Christmas and had been out for a few drinks.

A glass had smashed behind the brothers' father in the Orange House and he had been assaulted and roughly manhandled out of the premises by a doorman. The defendants were very upset and when police arrived they were remonstrating with the bouncer. The brothers accepted their behaviour outside the Orange House was inappropriate.