A council road worker has denied breaking a man's cheekbone in a road-rage attack.

Dean Bryant, 23, told a court he had not laid a finger on Esfandyou Golchin.

He said he was on his way to meet team mates who play for the Ladies Mile Pub football team in Patcham, Brighton. He realised he had left his football boots behind and decided to go back for them.

Bryant, who works for Brighton and Hove City Council's highways department, said he took his friend Lewis Smith with him for the short drive back to his mother's house at Withdean.

The attack is alleged to have taken place as Mr Golchin drove his daughter to his shop on December 5. Bryant is said to have fractured his cheek with a single blow which also knocked out a tooth and chipped two more.

The attack was seen by Mr Golchin's ten-year-old daughter who said the blow was delivered when her father turned to look at her as she got out of the car.

Mr Golchin said he was earlier confronted by Bryant's off-road vehicle on the wrong side of the road in Barrhill Avenue, Patcham.

Bryant told Hove Crown Court they both swore at each other for several seconds before Mr Golchin drove off.

Bryant said he turned his Toyota round to continue back to get his football boots. He denied tail-gating Mr Golchin's Renault Megane.

Bryant said: "The Megane stopped in the middle of the road just in front of me. He took his glasses off and walked towards me. He came right up to my face and was very aggressive.

"He was a lot bigger than me and I was scared. I had my hands out by my side saying I had done nothing wrong. Lewis was standing next to me and he pushed the man to the ground. I had no contact with him whatsoever. I did not lay a single finger on him.

"Lewis pushed him quite forcefully with the palm of his hand. He stumbled, lost his balance and fell over. He got up seconds later and the only injury I saw was a scratch on his face."

Bryant said he was later followed by Mr Golchin and his wife in their car and went to apologise.

He said: "I wanted to apologise for Lewis pushing him over."

The court heard that Bryant was originally charged only with dangerous driving and Mr Smith was charged with causing Mr Golchin grievous bodily harm However, the case against Mr Smith was dropped and Bryant was additionally charged with GBH.

Bryant, of Braeside, Avenue, Patcham, Brighton, denies causing grievous bodily harm and two charges of dangerous driving. Lewis Smith, 19, told the jury that it was Mr Golchin who was aggressive.

He said: "I was worried about Dean because he had just had his jaw wired up in an operation.

"I saw the man's head jar back as if he was going to headbut Dean.'"

The trial continues.