A clubber has told a court of the moment a chunk of his ear was bitten off as he was attacked by a gang of violent thugs.

Darren Payne said he felt his head being shaken and someone snarling like a dog.

"It was as though a dog was playing with a toy and shaking his head as you try to pull it away," he told the jury.

"I had that feeling and that sound in my ear and then I passed out."

Police community officers found the chunk nearby moments after the 1.30am attack in Crawley on August 13, 2005.

Mr Payne, 35, the rental car parking manager at Gatwick airport, said surgeons were unable to save the missing part of his ear.

It is alleged that he was attacked by five people as he and friend Barry Pelham walked home from a night out in the pubs and clubs of Crawley.

They had left the Icon Diva club and stopped off at a nearby kebab shop for something to eat.

Mr Payne told Hove Crown Court they ate their food on seats outside the Rat and Parrott pub before heading for Mr Pelham's flat in Northgate. He said both had been drinking and were singing One Man Went To Mow as they walked along.

Mr Payne added: "We heard someone shouting at us from the opposite side of the road. I got the impression there were five or six of them.

"We tried to ignore them and shouted back Oh yeah, whatever' and I made a mouthing gesture.

"As we walked away, Barry turned round and said Eh,up'. I turned and saw two or three of them running towards us.

"From there it becomes a blur. I crouched down and someone got up from behind me. Someone else threw a punch and it became more of a blur. I must have lost consciousness.

"When I regained consciousness someone was biting my ear off. I passed out again.

"I was taken to the East Surrey Hospital at Redhill, then to a plastic surgery ward at East Grinstead. Nothing could be done and I have now lost that part of my ear permanently." Joe Rous, 19, Jamie Winson, 19, Kyle Burchell, 20, Jodie Hanslow, 20, and Luke Ingram, 21, were later arrested in connection with the attack.

Rous, of Ashdown Drive, Tilgate; Winson of Sadlers Row, Southgate; Burchell of Thatchers Close, Southgate, and Hanslow, of Whitepost Hill, Redhill, all deny causing actual bodily harm.

Ingram, also of Whitepost Hill, has admitted kicking Mr Payne and will be sentenced at a later date.

Nicholas Hall, prosecuting, said Burchell had refused to answer police questions.

Rous had admitted being part of the group but also declined to answer questions about what had happened. Winson told officers he had tried to act as a peacemaker after the attack.

Hanslow said she ran after the others who were already around Mr Payne on the floor and claimed she did not see anything happen to him.

Mr Hall added: "The prosecution are not in a position to identify which one of the five bit Mr Payne's ear.

"It is also unclear who was doing any punching or kicking other than Luke Ingram who has admitted his part in kicking Mr Payne twice.

"It is the prosecution's case that all five were concerned together and jointly participated in the attack on him."

Witness Alison Braganza told the court she saw Mr Payne was unconscious and bleeding heavily from his right ear. One of the males appeared to be gesturing and speaking to another standing by Mr Payne's head.

She added that the female in the group was by his feet.

Her brother Malcolm Braganza said he saw Mr Payne's head move as it was kicked by one of the males in the group.

The trial continues.