THREE men carried out a ferocious street attack on a young woman relative's secret lover to uphold their family honour, a court heard.

Bradford Crown Court was today told relatives had planned an arranged marriage for Kiran Bibi and were angry when they discovered she was in a relationship with Janayd Ahmed.

Miss Bibi's uncle, Ishfaq Azam, beat Mr Ahmed with a pool cue. He was joined in the attack - which also involved kicking, punching and stamping - by the woman's brother, Waqar Azam, and cousin, Amer Iqbal.

Jailing Ishfaq Azam for five years and four months, and sentencing both Iqbal and Waqar Azam to 13 months youth custody, Judge John Potter said it was a sustained and brutal group attack.

He said it was made clear to the victim the attack was direct retribution for him being involved in a relationship with Miss Bibi.

"There was no honour in this behaviour whatever," Judge Potter told the defendants.

Prosecutor George Hazel-Owram said Miss Bibi's family wanted to arrange a marriage for her but she formed a relationship with Mr Ahmed, a work colleague, which she kept secret.

The relationship was uncovered when Waqar Azam found text messages between them on her phone.

Mr Hazel-Owram said the family took away her phone, would not let her leave the property and stopped her from going to work.

On June 20 last year, Ishfaq Azam went to the store where Mr Ahmed worked in Allerton Road, Bradford, and found out he was on the late shift.

The victim went to a nearby takeaway for his meal break and when he left he was met by Ishfaq Azam, who began hitting him on the head with a pool cue, knocking him to the ground. He continued to hit Mr Ahmed with the weapon as he curled up to protect himself. The co-accused joined in by kicking and punching him. A witness saw one of the three men stamp on the victim's head four times.

Mr Ahmed suffered two cuts to the back of his head, which required 11 stitches, a loose front tooth and split lip.

The attackers drove away in a Vauxhall Vectra which was traced to the address of Ishfaq Azam, in Wilmer Drive, Heaton, Bradford, and the three defendants were arrested.

Ishfaq Azam, 32, pleaded guilty to wounding with intent.

Waqar Azam, of Wilmer Drive, and Iqbal, of Glenton Square, Manningham, Bradford, who were both 17 at the time of the offence but 18 now, pleaded guilty to causing actual bodily harm.

Barrister Nicholas Barker, representing Ishfaq Azam, said his client had responded inappropriately to the pressure building within the family over the relationship. He was a family man with three children who did voluntary and charity work at the mosque.

Gillian Batts, for Waqar Azam, said he did not initiate the violence and had made a silly mistake.

Angus Macdonald, for Ibal,said it was an isolated incident completely out of character.

Judge Potter said it was a pre-planned confrontation. He said Mr Ahmed was fortunate not to have been more severely injured by the ferocity of the attack. The couple have since married.

He made restraining orders against all three defendants.