A VIOLENT thug who beat a father with a belt in front of his terrified family at Christchurch railway station has been jailed for two-and-a-half years.

Nathan Brown attacked the 56-year-old victim with the buckle end of his belt, breaking his nose, cheekbone and eye socket.

He launched the vicious attack when the victim stepped forward to defend his wife, after one of Brown's friends accused her of looking at him as he urinated on a fence.

The victim was punched in the face and knocked to the floor, then beaten with the belt in front of his young daughter.

Brown, aged 22, from Glentrammon Road, Orpington, Greater London, had travelled to Dorset to attend a football match between Charlton and AFC Bournemouth at Dean Court, October 18, last year.

At an earlier hearing, a court heard Brown and his friend had been drinking after the game, and Brown's friend - who was urinating on the fence at the station - had accused the victim's wife of looking at him.

The victim said he stepped in because he was worried about his wife and daughter's safety.

After being knocked to the ground, he got up to chase Brown - who then took off his belt and beat him with the buckle end before running from the station.

Following sentencing, at Bournemouth Crown Court on July 9, British Transport Police Detective Sergeant Jane Hill said: "This was a terrifying attack, not just for the man who was injured, but for his family.

"Brown refused to take responsibility for his appalling actions throughout the case, but I hope that he will now use his time in prison to reflect on and change his violent ways."

Brown was arrested the day after the attack after being identified from CCTV images.

Det Sgt Hill said: "I would like to pay tribute to the victim and his family who endured this attack. I hope the result will bring them some sense of closure.

"I would also like to assure the public this sort of incident is extremely rare on the rail network, and that BTP will always do its utmost to ensure that those responsible are brought before the courts."

Brown was found guilty of wounding/GBH after denying the charges.