Two doormen who got involved in trouble outside a Colchester pub have been given community service orders.

The two - Gary Thorpe and Nicholas Leggett - were at the Chicago Rock Cafe in Queen Street when violence flared as a man was being ejected from the pub.

Neither man caused the victim any injuries but Chelmsford Crown Court heard how they over-reacted.

Thorpe, 34, of Harwich Road, Colchester, and Leggett, 32, also of Colchester, admitted a joint charge of common assault on Andrew Thompson when they appeared in court for sentence.

Assistant Recorder David Turner told Thorpe to complete 40 hours community service and Leggett, who was in breach of a conditional discharge for being drunk and disorderly, was told to do 60 hours.

"As trained doormen, you should have known better," the judge told the pair.

The court heard Leggett went to the pub on September 27, 1998 where his colleague Thorpe was working. Thorpe got involved in trying to eject Mr Thompson and Leggett joined in.

Jeremy Dugdale, mitigating for Thorpe, said he had worked for 17 years as a doorman and had never been in trouble before. "He accepts he went too far on this ocassion," Mr Dugdale said.

Gillian Jones, for Leggett, said he deeply regretted what had happened that night.

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