BOLTON'S UKIP leader was attacked in his own pub last weekend.

Cllr Sean Hornby, who runs the Queens pub in Bradley Fold, was punched in the face by a patron in the early hours of Saturday.

The Little Lever and Darcy Lever councillor, who had welcomed party leader Henry Bolton to town on Friday, said he was 'a bit shaken' by the assault but was not seriously hurt.

He said: "The guy had obviously had too much to drink.

"I had not long been back at the pub when it happened, I had just come back from Kearsley where I was with our UKIP candidate there.

"At about 12.30am one of the bar staff had poured this guy's drink away because they thought he had left, and he kicked off about it.

"I said that he had had enough to drink already and escorted him to the front door.

"The next thing, he threw a punch.

"I rang the police straight away and they were here within four or five minutes.

"I don't know what action they are going to take.

"I was a bit shaken, but that is all.

"It just makes you think how vulnerable you can be at times."

Mr Bolton, who spoke to UKIP members at the Holiday Inn in Bolton town centre on Friday afternoon, left a comment on Cllr Hornby's Facebook post about the attack, calling it 'appalling'.

Cllr Hornby added: "At the end of the day, my first duty is to my bar staff and to the customers in here. We don't have any trouble in here and I won't stand for any.

"Any idiot who tries to start any will be straight out of the door.

"I have been overwhelmed by the number of messages I have had on Facebook, that has been quite moving.

"It goes to show that people won't tolerate stuff like this when it happens.

"We opened up the next morning and it is business as usual. I have a few cuts and bruises, but they are healing nicely."

Police confirmed that a 52-year-old man was arrested.