Before the court last Thursday were two 23-year-olds, Geoffrey Alexander Ayom, of Rydal Road, Harrogate and Isaac Jalal Chowdhury, of Forest Lane, Harrogate.

Ayom pleaded guilty to threatening behaviour provoking fear of violence and Chowdhury admitted affray during the incident on September 19.

Prosecutor Kathryn Reeve said the scene had been King's Road, outside the offices of Central Radio Cars, at 4.10am. Police had been told of an on-going fight in the road involving a number of men and, when units responded, had been able to view slow-motion CCTV footage to help their enquiries.

Chowdhury and Ayom had been arrested and interviewed. Ayom had told police he had gone to the Viper Rooms with a number of friends, including Chowdhury, staying until 12.30am when the party went to the Moko Lounge where there had been ''some banter'' with another group.

Initially it had been good natured but then somebody had said something Chowdhury – who had been drinking beer and cider – had not liked. There had been pushing and shoving and punches had been thrown.

'Extremely drunk'

Miss Reeve said Ayom had told police he should have walked away rather than get involved and had added: ''I remember kicking a guy which I am not proud of. I didn't expect it to go that far.''

Chowdhury had told police he had drunk a large quantity of vodka and had been ''extremely drunk.'' He had become upset with a group of people and ''started hitting them.''

Miss Reeve added: ''He said he thought there may have been a racist comment made, directed at him or his black friend.''

Geoffrey Rogers, representing both men, said neither had any previous convictions.

Chowdhury would begin a job in a local call centre next month and was also due to start an accountancy course. Ayom was studying financial services at Manchester University, where he was in the third year of a four year course.

'Racist comment'

''You may wonder why on earth they got themselves involved in an incident such as this,'' said Mr Rogers. The two men, good friends, had got into a discussion with another group which began as good banter before, for some reason, becoming more serious. It had developed into an argument and then there had been fighting.

Chowdhury recollected a racist comment and this had been the trigger for the physical violence in an incident which had lasted 90 seconds.

Presiding magistrate Jane Garlick told the pair: ''It didn't look very good on the video for either of you.''

And conditionally discharging Ayom for a year with £85 costs she added: ''The best thing would have been to have walked away.