FOUR young men will spend Christmas and the new year away from their families after they took part in what a judge slammed as a nasty and violent late-night incident.

Southampton Crown Court heard how the four – Remi Williams, Callum Channell, Adam Scriven and Christopher Ward – had been indulging in “horseplay”

near Redbridge Hill fire station in the city when two Polish men approached.

Prosecutor Tom Wright said words were exchanged before one of the men made a gesture as though he was ready for a fight.

The pair – Piotr Denisiuk and Adam Winiarski – then walked off with the group in pursuit.

A bottle was then thrown and once surrounded, the men were kicked and punched.

Both men suffered bruising and swelling to their faces but Mr Denisiuk also sustained a fractured right eye socket and had lost permanent hearing in his right ear. He also spent nine days in hospital. The four young men then admitted affray.

Channell, 19, of Walnut Grove, was sent to a young offenders’ institution for ten months, Scriven, 20, of Kendal Avenue, received eight months, and Williams, 19, of Ribble Court, and Ward, 18, of Maybush Road, got six months each.

The court heard that Williams had suffered a double fracture of the jaw before he became involved in the violence.

All accepted that they had thrown punches but denied any kicking, although they were aware it was going on.