A THUG left a bus driver with blood pouring from his nose after he wouldn't let him off before his stop.

Drunken passenger Craig Swift, 36, launched the bus rage attack on Miles Duplock when he refused to drop him off early.

Swift swore at his victim as he got off in Colchester then jumped back on board and tried to kick the driver.

He then punched a shocked Mr Duplock in the face after threatening to "kick him all over the station".

The blow sent blood pumping over the driver and a supervisor who was trying to hold Swift back.

The attacker had denied hitting Mr Duplock, who needed hospital treatment.

Swift admitted to police he had behaved "like a complete plonker", said Frank O'Toole, prosecuting.

The court heard Swift had been drinking since he was just 14 years old. He had drunk four or five pints on the day of the attack.

Lucy Osborn, mitigating, said his parents were heavy drinkers and lived in a pub.

She claimed Swift suffered from a split personality and described himself as a "functioning alcoholic".

"When he is not drinking he is a perfectly pleasant, law-abiding member of society, but under the influence, he sometimes becomes aggressive," said Miss Osborn.

She said Swift was a loving father and had found it hard to cope with the recent death of his mother.

"He is at a crossroads and has come to a point in his life where he realises he has to make serious changes.

"It is glaringly obvious the problem is alcohol and has been over many years. He needs to stop drinking once and for all."

Swift admitted last October's assault, but insisted he hadn't hit his victim.

He was given a four-month suspended jail sentence and ordered to pay £500 compensation and £350 costs.