NEIGHBOURS at war exchanged blows when a man rushed out of his house swinging a baseball bat during a street fight.

Video footage showed Paul Hughes rushing out of his driveway and swinging a baseball bat at Andrew Salter which led to both men being charged with affray.

However, the affray charge was dropped against Slater, 53, of Synehurst, Badsey, near Evesham when he appeared before magistrates on Thursday.

Instead, he admitted assault by beating and possession of an offensive weapon after he snatched the bat from Hughes and struck him with it once to the stomach as blows were exchanged on April 7 this year.

Video footage of the fight was played at court, filmed by the defendant's daughter who can be heard screaming during the fracas.

Ralph Robyns-Landricombe, prosecuting, said Hughes offered to 'sort it out' at the front of his property.

Slater and his 23-year-old son Jack, who does not face a criminal charge, waited at the front of Hughes's house.

"Mr Hughes ran out with a baseball bat and lunged towards Andrew Slater, swinging the bat at Jack Slater which connected to his head, causing a cut," said the prosecutor.

However, Andrew Slater wrestled the baseball bat from Hughes's hands and 'hit him to the stomach' before leaving with the bat.

The defendant spoke to police, describing Hughes as 'intoxicated'. "He said he was feeling threatened with the bat," said Mr Robyns-Landricombe.

James Turner, defending, said Hughes had been prosecuted for possession of class A drugs and 'believed that my client reported him to the police'. He told magistrates that his client had indicated he 'knew nothing about it' but that Hughes had 'become fixated' on the idea that the defendant had reported him.

He said a dispute over a fence between their properties had become 'another bone of contention'.

Mr Turner described Hughes as being 'abusive' to his client's family, including his children and his wife which he called 'appalling'. He said this had gone on for about an hour before the incident, including Hughes referring to the Slaters as 'council tenants' (Hughes owned his own home).

He said his client's plan had been to take the baseball bat home, cut it up and burn it so it could not be used.

Mr Turner accepted his client had gone beyond reasonable self-defence with that one strike with the baseball bat to Hughes's stomach which he said 'caused no injury'.

However, he also said his client had 'borne sore provocation' before violence was used.

Magistrates fined Salter £50 for the assault and £50 for possession of an offensive weapon. Salter was further ordered to pay a £100 contribution towards costs and a £32 victim surcharge.

The bench also ordered forfeiture and destruction of the baseball bat.