A company director broke down in tears after he was cleared of deliberately biting off the tip of a man's finger in a fight.

Scott Greenwood sobbed as he ran from the dock after being found not guilty of intentionally causing grievous bodily harm to Dean Bailey.

The two men were involved in a scuffle at Little Common football club, Bexhill, in May last year.

It started after a row between children over who should be next to use the pool table spread to their parents during a social evening.

Mr Greenwood, of Links Road, Bexhill, told the jury he did not realise Mr Bailey's finger was in his mouth as they fell to the ground with two other men who were trying to intervene, on top of them.

Mr Greenwood, 39, who is 6ft 3in and weighs 20 stones, said: "It was a very quick and a very heavy fall and the others are big guys like me.

"I was not aware of it when we were falling but when we hit the ground it was obvious there was something in my mouth. It felt like a carrot crunching.

"I did not have any intention of causing him injury and I did not deliberately bite him."

During the two-day trial at Hove Crown Court, the jury heard that Mr Bailey's middle finger tip was severed below the nail and was left hanging by a flap of skin.

Mr Greenwood, director of a groundwork company, told the court he had immediately apologised and said he realised that Mr Bailey was trying to split the fight up.