An off-duty doorman assaulted two people in a Cheltenham lap dancing club during the National Hunt Festival after a woman grabbed him in a delicate area, a court heard.

John Jordan, 56, of Winter Gate Road, Longford, was at the Eroticat Club when he went to the assistance of door staff dealing with a number of drunk people, Gloucester Crown Court was told.

Neil Treharne, prosecuting, showed the court CCTV of the incident which he said showed Jordan's privates grabbed by a woman ahead of a confrontation when he responds in a firm manner.

Jordan pleaded not guilty to assaulting Andrea Timberlake causing her actual bodily harm but admitted a less serious alternative of common assault 

He also pleaded guilty to common assault of Mr Haynes by beating.

Showing the CCTV footage, Mr Treharne said "It is quite clear - there was an altercation between Mr Jordan and Mr Tristan Haynes at the top of the stairs - but the defendant maintains there was no contact between them."

Stephen Bailey, defending, said Jordan was not on duty but he was worried at the developing situation and as a senior doorman and stepped in to help.

He said: "If Jordan had been violent towards the two people the other nightclub doormen would have intervened."

The court was told that Jordan had not worked since the incident and would not be re-applying to do so until the conclusion of his case.

Judge Ian Lawrie QC said to Jordan: "Despite the difference of interpretation by the lawyers, my view is there was a physical confrontation, but this does not necessarily qualify as a beating in the context of you doing your job, even if you were not formally on duty.

"You showed a degree of control towards two drunken people who were being removed from the nightclub.

"Your arm moves out towards Mr Haynes, but the CCTV is not clear if you make physical contact or not."

He declined: "You have paid a heavy price since the incident with your licence being suspended for the past five months.

"But you do have to be punished in light of what took place as ultimately there was a physical confrontation."

Jordan was sentenced to an 18-month conditional discharge and ordered to pay £250 contribution towards court costs and £20 victim surcharge.

The judge declined to award compensation to the victims.