THREE pizza shop workers brought terror to a town centre street when a domestic row in their takeaway escalated into violence.

Customer Carl Humphreys was hit across the head and needed hospital treatment for the wound he suffered.

His attacker, Ali Kadir, was said to have been angry that Mr Humphreys was dating his ex-girlfriend, Analise Cartwright.

Trouble flared after the couple went into the pizza shop in Gladstone Street, Darlington, at about 3.30am on May 14 last year. A court heard yesterday that Miss Cartwright asked her former boyfriend for the return of some children's clothes, and their meeting appeared amicable.

But soon after, Kadir and Miss Cartwright began to argue, and Mr Humphreys stepped in to try and protect his girlfriend.

Kadir was joined by colleagues Ali Poor and Shachawan Ahmed and friend Hallo Mohammed after the initial attack, prosecutor John Gillette told Teesside Crown Court.

Mr Gillette said witnesses claimed Kadir was armed with a shiny kitchen implement, Poor had a broom and Ahmed was carrying a stick, while Mohammed was unarmed.

Rod Hunt, for Kadir, said his client lost his temper when he saw his ex-girlfriend with another man, but he has since come to terms with their split.

"It is bitterly regretted by Mr Kadir that things did escalate and through me, in public, he apologises for his loss of self-control," said Mr Hunt. "He also offers publicly to compensate the complainant in the case."

Graeme Gaston, for Mohammed, and Sam Faulks, for Poor, said their clients got involved at the end of the dispute but did not injure anyone.

Both defence barristers accepted the men used threatening language, but said they were not the instigators of the trouble.

Kadir, 27, of Pensbury Street, Darlington, admitted affray and was fined £500 with £200 court costs and was ordered to pay Mr Humphreys £250 compensation.

Mohammed, 21, also of Pensbury Street, and Poor, of Gladstone Street, also Darlington, were each given a 12-month conditional discharged and ordered to pay £100 costs after they admitted using threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour.

Ahmed, 31, of Gladstone Street, failed to turn up at court yesterday and a warrant was issued for his arrest.