A gang of five men who took the law into their own hands when they attacked a couple in Bradford city centre have each been locked up for 15 months.

Judge Jonathan Durham Hall QC branded the attack on Richard Bennett and his girlfriend Samiya Jeffers as mob-handed and arrogant'.

Bradford Crown Court heard on Tuesday how Mr Bennett had been seen kicking the window of a vehicle which was mistaken for a taxi during the incident back in February.

"You were very quick, together, to become involved. Taking the law into your own hands and confronting Mr Bennett,'' Judge Durham Hall told the five defendants.

"In my judgement that first incident should not have resulted in any further offending. You were told off by other members of the crowd.

"It is clear that following that first incident of bad behaviour by Mr Bennett he sought thereafter to calm matters down.

"It is clear that members of the public were annoyed with you and that Miss Jeffers in particular sought to hit one or more of you. I'm satisfied that inflamed you.

"You were all drinking for some reason that night and drinking whisky.'' The group, which included 20-year-old Aitamad Hussain, of Paddock, Frizinghall, and four men from Walsall, later saw the couple in a taxi.

Hussain, 21-year-old Mohammed Sajid and 21-year-old Sageer Mohammed armed themselves with hammers and a tyre iron although the weapons were not actually used.

"Therefore mob-handed, deliberately, arrogantly, you set out cowardly to punish and hurt an unarmed man in this city centre where we are proud of the massive strides to community harmony that we have made,'' said Judge Durham Hall.

"You set out mob-handed before everybody's vision to punish that young man and his girlfriend.

"It is conceded, and I have seen, that you pulled them from a taxi and subjected them to vicious kicks and punches.'' Judge Durham Hall noted that actual injuries suffered by the couple were fortunately minimal, but he said it was a flagrant attack on two citizens of the city.

Hussain, Sajid and Mohammed pleaded guilty along with Roheel Rashid, 18, and Kabir Ali, 18, to assaulting Mr Bennett.

Rashid and Sajid admitted assaulting Miss Jeffers while Hussain, Sajid and Mohammed also pleaded guilty to possessing offensive weapons.

The court heard that only Rashid had a previous conviction for violence and Judge Durham Hall told the men: "You come from impeccable backgrounds. Each and every one of your families, who have expressed variously their concerns and outrage at your behaviour, are first rate, salt of the earth people and you have let them all down very badly.'' The five defendants had been remanded in custody on Tuesday so that pre-sentence reports could be prepared on two of them, but yesterday Judge Durham Hall rejected submissions that he could consider suspended sentences in some cases.

After sentencing each man to 15 months in custody he warned them that they would be in very serious trouble if they committed any further offences following their release on licence.