A plumber who kicked a man in the face during a fight outside a Brighton night club has been given a 12-month prison sentence, suspended for two years.

Andrew Houghton was part of a group of stag-night revellers from Crawley who clashed with police outside the Honeyclub in King's Road Arches, a court heard.

The 35-year-old claimed he was threatened with a knife by one of the club's doormen before he left the venue with friends in the early hours of March 1 last year.

As he waited outside, club doorman Rod Letchford ran out, closely followed by Crawley doorman Ian Jackson, who shouted a warning that Mr Letchford could have a knife.

Walton Hornsby, prosecuting, said Houghton punched Mr Letchford, who fell to the ground where he was kicked twice in the face by the plumber.

Hove Crown Court heard police intervened. As reinforcements arrived, violence flared between the Crawley group and officers.

Houghton, of New Addington, Surrey, pleaded guilty in April to violent disorder and appeared for sentence yesterday.

Pamela Rose, defending, said Houghton admitted what he had done to Mr Letchford. She said: "What he did was a spontaneous reaction."

Judge David Rennie told him: "This offence is too serious for me to be able to impose a community punishment order and only a custodial sentence is suitable."