An Eastville man charged with violent disorder told a jury he was not involved when his friend had a fight with a man in the street.

Lukasz Makowski told Bristol Crown Court that when he and seven Polish friends went into the city centre for a drink, a man said something about Poles and his friend Robert scuffled with him.

He said he tried to break them up and denied joining the melee.

The jury has been told that six Polish men carried out indiscriminate attacks on two men as they went on a rampage through Bristol city centre in June last year.

It is claimed the group first rounded on a married couple near St James Barton roundabout, where they kicked and punched Adrian Heavens to the ground, before walking away "triumphantly" and beating up an unidentified Somali victim.

Five of the men have admitted violent disorder but Makowski, 27, of Marlborough Street, denies the charge.

Makowski said he first saw Mr Heavens lying on the ground outside a nightclub in Stokes Croft, with his nose smashed and two people restraining him.

He described how he and his friends bought alcohol and as they returned past the club he spotted the man who had been on the ground with a distressed woman.

Speaking via an interpreter, he told the jury: "At this point the guy turned round and said something; I don't know what it was. He said something about Poles, that's for sure.

"Robert spoke to him in Polish and Heavens launched at him.

"They were having a scuffle, it didn't look like a fight.

"The others were slightly ahead and I said 'I'm going'.

"I didn't see anybody kicking anybody. The woman was throwing her shoes around.

"From the very beginning she was undressed halfway down.

"I didn't see anybody hit her.

"I didn't make physical contact with her."

Earlier Miles Chambers, who was working as a taxi driver that night, said he was driving round St James Barton roundabout when he spotted a commotion.

He said three to four men were attacking one man.

He said: "It was like he was a punch bag. The girl tried to stop the fight. She tried to push them away and at one point her top was pulled down."

Mr Chambers told police he witnessed the attack.

He said: "It was clear the guy was caged into this situation. It was a no-win situation for him.

"I don't really report things to police but it was out of order.

"It seemed inappropriate for Bristol. There was something about the taste of this. It was nasty, really nasty."

The case continues at Bristol Crown Court.