A policeman admitted he saw a fellow officer strike a night club doorman's head with a baton after a stag night clash.

PC Spencer Scott told Hove Crown Court colleague Darren Eagan had hit Crawley night club doorman Ian Jackson over the head.

Both officers were called to the Honey Club on Brighton seafront after a fracas between the club's doormen and a group of stag night revellers from Crawley.

PC Scott told Phillip Matthews, defending Jackson, that the primary use of a police baton was for defence.

He said it could either be used to defend himself, to deflect blows or to help another person who was in danger of being attacked.

He agreed that unreasonable use of a baton would be unlawful.

PC Scott said officers were trained to strike different areas of the body according to the level of threat faced by them or others.

He agreed with Mr Matthews that the head was one of the areas which should not be hit unless an officer was in fear of his life.

Mr Matthews said: "The reason for that is because force used in that area might be considered lethal because of the potential for permanent serious injury or death."

PC Scott agreed and said he had never hit anyone over the head with a baton.

He confirmed he had seen PC Eagan hit Jackson over the head during the incident.

The officer told Hove Crown Court that he feared for his own life and for the lives of another officer and a Honey Club doorman during violence outside the club.

PC Scott agreed he had said in his statement: "I was fighting for my life. The group tried to surround me."

He was asked by Mr Matthews about an incident where Jackson is seen confronting PC David Lovett and agreed he had stated that Jackson had raised his fists as if to hit the officer.

Earlier, PC Scott described Jackson, who is 6ft 8in, as one of the biggest men he had seen.

He said in his statement: "I feared for PC Lovett's life because the group was in a frenzy. I turned to PC Eagan and said, 'We have got to stop him'.

"I tried to get between him and PC Lovett. I shouted to him to get back and he punched me in the face."

PC Scott was shown police surveillance footage of the incident and agreed he had seen nothing on the tape which appeared to be threatening to his life or that of another officer.

He also agreed that there were other conflicts between written statements he made and what could be seen on the video, including the identity of some of those involved.

Robert Cohen, 25, of Climping Road, Ifield, Crawley; Simon Grimmer, 26, of Abinger Drive Redhill; Wayne Howell, 26, and Jackson, 37, of Roffey Close, Horley, deny violent disorder on March 1, 2001.

The trial continues.