A GAY man bit a chunk from his former lover's ear in a fight outside a Chippenham nightclub which ended in an assault on a police inspector, a court heard.

North Wiltshire Magistrates' Court in Chippenham on Monday, was told the fight, which was caught on CCTV camera, happened after the two men were thrown out of from MadJacks nightclub on February 1.

The court watched the videotape recording which showed Ashley Chisholm, and former boyfriend Aaron King, both 19, exchanging a flurry of punches.

Magistrates then saw Chisholm chew King's ear as the men wrestled on a car bonnet. They were pulled apart by police officers and Chisholm was seen to spit out a chunk of ear on to the road.

As King was approached by the police officers, the camera showed him lash out, catching a police inspector in the face with a punch.

Chisholm, of Claypole Mead, pleaded guilty to causing grievous bodily harm. King, of Greenway Lane, pleaded guilty to assaulting a police officer.

Anna Humphreys, prosecuting, said the CCTV evidence showed Chisholm chewing King's ear for some time.

In his interview with the police, Chisholm claimed he bit King's ear in self-defence because King had pinned his arms to his sides, but Ms Humphreys said he had admitted that the force he used was far too severe.

She said the inspector suffered a bruised cheek and a bloodshot eye.

Matthew Drew, for Chisholm, said his client and King had lived together for six months and domestic violence was a feature of their relationship, but they had separated at the time of the incident.

He said Chisholm had bumped into King at Porter Blacks pub, in Borough Parade, earlier in the evening. He believed King was going to Fizz Bar nightclub and so he went to MadJacks in the hope of avoiding him.

Mr Drew said King turned up at MadJacks and, Chisholm said, followed him across the dance floor and into the toilets trying to talk to him.

Chisholm pushed King away in frustration and the two men were then ejected from the premises.

He said the video evidence showed that initially Chisholm was the aggressor, but the punches were not one-sided.

Chisholm admitted biting King's ear to get him off him when he was pinned down on the car, but denied he intended to bite it off.

Paul Orton, for King, said his blows had come a lot later in the fight.

He said King was obviously distressed after his ear was bitten.

He said King did not punch the inspector intentionally but hit him instinctively.

The case against Chisholm was adjourned until March 24 for an all-options report. He was released on conditional bail.

Sentencing King, magistrate Christine Reid said: "We accept there was severe provocation and do not feel that the assault was intentional, rather more instinctive."

King was ordered to pay £75 compensation and £55 in costs