GAZETTE & HERALD: A CORSHAM man suffered severe injuries when he was hit in the face with a glass at a Chippenham nightclub after trying to stop two women being assaulted.

Peter Beckenham, owner of Buds Nightclub, on Station Hill, where the attack took place at around 2am on Sunday, said the women's assailant picked up a glass or a bottle and hurled it at the victim.

He had intervened to help a woman, aged 25, from Corsham, who had been punched in the eye, and another 24-year-old woman from Chippenham who had been slapped in the face.

The attacker and his friend then fled the club. The victim was taken to Bath's Royal United Hospital where he underwent surgery.

His parents were at his hospital bedside yesterday and were unavailable for comment.

Karl Frost of DJ security, which handles security at the nightclub, said it was the worst incident at the club in ten years.

"It was a very serious eye injury and all my staff were covered with blood," added Mr Frost, who was not at Buds at the time of the incident, but arrived later.

Mr Beckenham said that the club takes security very seriously. He said it has double the number of security staff it is legally required to have as well as a CCTV system.

He said the club would be setting up an internal investigation to find out how the incident could have happened because the club only uses safety glasses and he wanted to find out how a bottle or other glass from outside got into the club.

He said Buds was at the forefront of training for door staff, and the club was used to holding courses on first aid and dealing with difficult situations.

"My senior doorman, who looked after the victim, was very upset by this. He said he had never experienced such a bad incident," he said.

Chippenham police sergeant Mark Gale described the glass attack as a terrible crime and appealed to witnesses to contact investigating officers on (01249) 654455.

Two men, aged 28 and 18, from the Chippenham area, were arrested in Pew Hill at 3.15am on Sunday and later charged.