A RETAIL manager described in court how he was twice punched in the face, then sat on by an angry van driver after they traded "playground insults" in a road-rage incident in Worcester.

Alan Ebbon held up traffic at lights when he crossed on amber and his Mercedes was forced to a standstill by slow cars in front.

He claimed Royston Francis was annoyed he had "beaten him to the lights", gestured with two fingers when following him, and then entered into a slanging match outside their vehicles near the junction of Tolladine Road and Shrub Hill Road on Friday, August 8, last year.

"We slagged each other off," Mr Ebbon, who was on his way to work, told a jury at Worcester Crown Court.

"He called me a four-eyed Brummie bastard and I called him a Worcester carrot-cruncher."

The 35-year-old alleged that Francis grabbed him around the neck, knocking him over and then landed two blows. He was treated in hospital for a cut near his eye and cuts to both elbows.

'Threw punches'

Francis, aged 47, of Severn Terrace, Worcester, denies assaulting Mr Ebbon and causing him actual bodily harm.

The defendant alleged that Mr Ebbon threw two punches at him through the van window. Francis insisted he then sat on Mr Ebbon after a struggle to restrain him.

But Tariq Shakoor, prosecuting, said: "This defendant was plainly the aggressor. He was no doubt annoyed at the Mercedes going through the lights."

Mr Shakoor said Mr Ebbon "foolishly" kicked the van before the violence broke out.

Mr Ebbon said he stopped after wrongly believing the van touched the back of his Mercedes.

After exchanging a barrage of insults, Mr Ebbon said he pushed the van door shut with his foot.

He dismissed as "absolute rubbish" a suggestion he swung punches through its window.

Instead, he was grabbed from behind as he walked away. He claimed he banged his head on a wall before seeing Francis crouching over him landing punches.

Heidi Kubik, defending, insisted that Mr Ebbon confronted Francis head-on, struck him a glancing blow and commented at the end of the incident: "You're sorted."

The trial continues.