TWO soldiers involved in a brutal double assault are on the verge of being jailed and kicked out of the army.

Shaun Smith and Jason Collins were caught on camera close to their barracks "pummelling" two men last April.

One victim was knocked unconscious and left prone in the road, while the other suffered a horrific beating.

Chilling CCTV pictures show the second man had his head and upper body stamped on an incredible 18 times by Smith.

Smith, 25, a guardsman with the Scots Guards, can be seen on the footage stamping on the heads of both men.

The video shows him repeatedly put the boot in on one victim while 21-year-old Collins punches him on the ground.

Collins, a Welsh Guardsman, can be seen delivering repeated blows to the man near Catterick Garrison in North Yorkshire.

The pair ran off and hid in a beck when police turned up at the scene, Teesside Crown Court heard during two trials.

Both men - recruits at the time of the horror - denied a charge of causing grievous bodily harm with intent.

They were found not guilty at their second trial - but have admitted two charges of actual bodily harm assault.

The squaddies will be sentenced after background reports have been prepared by probation officials.

The soldiers claimed during their evidence that they were acting within the law to protect themselves.

They told a jury they were followed from a nightclub at 4am by the two men, who threatened to stab them.

Prosecutor Paul Abrahams said their violence was a "loss of control" and they were never at risk of harm.

Opposing sides disputed how the incident started - and it was not picked up by the security cameras.

The horrific violence which followed was caught on film, and was played to the sickened jury during the trials.

Smith told police after his arrest that he had been drinking in Darlington before returning to the barracks.

He said he had had gin and cranberry cocktails, tequila and more gin on his night out with Collins.

During his evidence, he initially claimed he had only kicked the victim, but under cross-examination admitted stamping.

Collins also claimed he thought he was using only necessary force at the time, and denied "snapping".