TWO men accused of carrying out an unprovoked attack on a smoker in the street have been cleared by a jury.

Following a five day trial at Bolton Crown Court a jury of eight women and four men took just over an hour to find Ilyas Mohamed and Kameal Mahmood not guilty of intentionally causing Yasin Marviada grievous bodily harm.

The court heard how Mr Marviada was at the corner of Boardman Street and Draycott Street, Halliwell, having a cigarette on March 29 last year when two men attacked him.

One of them hit him over the head with a crowbar, leaving a large gash in his scalp which needed nine stitches.

The prosecution had alleged Mohamed, aged 34, of Ashford Walk, Bolton, and Mahmood, aged 19, of Boardman Street, Bolton were responsible.

Mahmood pleaded not guilty to committing the offence but Mohamed was deemed not fit to plead due to his severe mental disability.

Mahmood had told police that, at the time of the attack, he was playing football and Mohamed said that he had been with his nephew playing on a Playstation.