Two men have been jailed for their part in a "pack" attack which left a victim severely injured with multiple facial fractures.

Iftakhar Ali Ismail (34) was off duty from his cabin crew job with British Airways when he became involved in a row with a man who refused to give back a scarf he dropped in Leicester city centre.

Ismail and his friend Nasar Ali Mahmood (22) set upon the victim outside Liquid nightclub in Gravel Street, along with a passing group of unknown youths, who joined in with punches, kicks and stamps.

The 35-year-old victim, from Earl Shilton, was left unconscious and bleeding on the ground. His jaw, right cheekbone and eye socket were fractured.

He underwent surgery to have four metal plates inserted in his face and needed metalwork on his teeth to keep them in place.

Ismail was jailed for four-and-a-half years and Mahmood was jailed for four years.

Both were convicted by a jury at Leicester Crown Court of inflicting grievous bodily harm with intent on November 1 last year.

Both defendants had denied the charge, along with a third man who was acquitted.

Passing sentence, Judge Michael Fowler said that "glowing" references showed they were normally decent, law abiding men and it gave him "no satisfaction" to pass substantial sentences.

Philip Gibbs, prosecuting, said: "It was an extremely brutal attack and that's been conceded by everyone. "The victim suffered significant consequences and is psychologically a different person.

"He's reluctant to leave the house, self-conscious of still visible injuries and doesn't like being in crowds."

During the trial the court heard the victim was attacked as he walked along New Road towards Gravel Street with two friends at about 3am.

He picked up a scarf, dropped by Ismail. When he refused to hand it back he was punched to the ground and up to eight others joined in.

Mr Gibbs told the jury: "It was like a pack gathered together but the main aggressors were the defendants, who continued to kick him even after the pack joined in."

A prosecution witness said that he, the victim and another friend, all from Earl Shilton, had taken a taxi to Liquid and had enjoyed the evening.

The witness said of the attack: "I was trying to fend off one of the men and my other friend was doing the same. We couldn't do anything else. We were completely helpless."

The defendants told the jury they used no violence and the group that ran off were the culprits.

Mr Gibbs said a spot of the complainant's blood was found on Mahmood's shoe and two spots on Ismail's trousers.

Martin Goudie, in mitigation for Ismail, of Dogsthorpe Road, Peterborough, said: "He's a father of two and apart from this he's led a blameless life. It wasn't pre-meditated and no weapons were used."

Kerry Broome, for Mahmood, of Daubeney Road, London, said: "He fully accepts his conviction [by the jury] and is going to face the consequences. It was out of character."