Stuart McCulloch, 30, was wrestled to the floor of a Leeds nightclub for squirting his friends with water during a fancy dress night out. He then had hair lacquer sprayed in his face and was bitten.

Mr McCulloch was in the middle of a Wild West-themed night out when he was pounced on by doorman Gavin Corbin, 24, in the Baja Beach club in Woodhouse Lane, Leeds Crown Court was told.

Mehran Nessiri, prosecuting, told the court Mr McCulloch had been at the club with girlfriend Nicola Gammage and a group of friends.

Mr Nessiri said: "At some point after midnight the complainant went to the toilet. When he came back he saw one of his friends and sprayed him with a water pistol.

"He was seen by the bouncer Mr Corbin and he asked the complainant what he had used and he said 'water'.

"The defendant got on top of the complainant by wrestling him to the floor and sprayed a substance into his face, causing his eyes to water and shortness of breath."

Witnesses also described Mr McCulloch being thrown against a fire door before being pinned to the floor and having his ear bitten.

Mr McCulloch was taken to hospital but suffered only minor injuries.

Corbin was arrested three days later.

Christopher Dunn, for Corbin, said Mr McCulloch friends had been stopped on the way into the club and told to surrender their water pistols as condition of entry.

He said: "They purported to hand over all the ones they had when challenged.

Referring to the attack, Mr Dunn said: "It is fair to say that the defendant acted over zealously and he pleads guilty to an assault as described."

Mr Dunn said Corbin had not been equipped with the spray but had used it as it 'came to hand' at the scene.

The court heard that he had lost around £15,000 in earnings since the incident after having his licence suspended by the Leeds City Council.

He said Corbin was planning to make an appeal before magistrates to be reinstated as a doorman at the same club.

Corbin was ordered to carry out 120 hours' unpaid work after admitting common assault.

He was told he would have been jailed had it been proved that he deliberately armed himself with the spray prior to the incident.

Passing the community penalty, recorder Rodney Jameson QC told Corbin: "The exercise of self-control is absolutely critical and on this occasion you transgressed.

"I am not going to lock you up, but had there been a charge of possession of an offensive weapon and you had been found guilty, custody would have followed as sure as eggs is eggs."

Corbin's licence to work as a bouncer had been suspended since the incident which happened last September.