A MAN had corrosive liquid thrown into his face over a £20 debt, a court was told yesterday.

Martin McPolin, 45, owed the money to Neil Broadfoot, 34, who sent threatening text messages to him and his partner Anne McQuilter.

But when she went to Broadfoot's home in Redcar to attempt to pay it he chased her away saying that the debt was now £300, prosecutor Christopher Attwooll told Teesside Crown Court yesterday.

Broadfoot threw a brick at her and he also threatened her with a baseball bat.

Mr McPolin agreed to meet Broadfoot for a pre-arranged fight.

Mr McPolin believed that Broadfoot was armed with a knife, but he saw Broadfoot bend down and pick up a clear plastic bottle containing corrosive substance.

Mr Attwooll told the judge: "It was squirted in his face, and he immediately describes as suffering excruciating pain."

Robert Mochrie, defending, said: "Mr Broadfoot accepts that when he was going to have this fight he went to a store and he bought some drain cleaner.

"He accepts he knew that harm would be caused but he hoped it would be irritation.

"When he attended at the scene he armed himself with the fluid, but he did so because he knew that Mr McPolin was no angel himself and that events would spiral out of control.

"He said he saw Mr McPolin put his hand inside his coat, and he genuinely believed that Mr McPolin was armed, and at that point he decided to throw the fluid in the direction of Mr McPolin."

The judge Recorder Neil Davey QC said he wanted further details of the incident to decide if Broadfoot was a future danger to the public before he passed sentence.

Broadfoot of Draycott Close, Redcar, pleaded guilty to threatening words and behaviour and also administering a noxious substance. Sentence was adjourned until next Friday.