A police officer was off work or three months after being attacked during a brawl outside a night club, a court heard.

PC David Lovett said he suffered a dislocated jaw, broken teeth and concussion in a brawl outside the Honey Club on Brighton seafront.

He told Hove Crown Court it was three months before he returned to the force because of further injuries to his back and neck and post-traumatic stress.

Four doormen from the Crawley area, who were not working, are accused of violent disorder.

The jury heard the incident took place in the early hours of March 1 last year, when PC Lovett was called to deal with a disturbance.

He told the court he separated a very large man - identified as defendant Ian Jackson - from a doorman working at the Honey Club.

PC Lovett, 34, said he feared "potentially a very violent situation".

He told the court: "I remember that I was dragged down from behind onto the floor by somebody that I don't know.

"I was violently grabbed around the neck in this group and I remember darkness on the floor. As I came down, I felt a kick across my spine and my neck was stamped on on one side.

"I was just fighting for my life, just trying to regain my feet and get up off the floor.

"I had no concept of how many people were over me or how many people in the group were attacking me.

"I ended up being held in a headlock and punched in the face by the large man.

"I had my teeth together and it chipped my teeth and dislocated my jaw. I became very, very disorientated. It felt like I had been hit with a sledgehammer."

He continued: "I was in pure fear for my life. If I had had the use of lethal force, I would have used it."

Referring to Jackson he said: "His hands were of the size that if they had come to my neck, he would have ripped my head off."

The court was shown video footage of the incident shot by a police cameraman.

The video appears to show PC Lovett striking the man who pulled him to the ground several times with his baton and the man having to be carried away.

Robert Cohen, 25, of Climping Road, Ifield, Crawley; Simon Grimmer, 26, of Abinger Road, Redhill and Wayne Howell, 25, and Jackson, 37, both of Roffey Close, Horley deny violent disorder. Cross examination was due to resume today.