A MAN accused of assaulting his former bosses in a pub, has told a court he regretted writing "a childish" note about one of them.

Stephen Hayward, 37, of Northallerton Road, Brompton in Northallerton is accused of assaulting Mark and Shelia Flintoft at the County Arms Pub in Northallerton, last year.

Teesside Crown Court yesterday heard there has been a dispute between the couple and Mr Hayward, following his dismissal as manager of the Northallerton Heating Centre, in 1999.

Civil court proceedings over the ownership of the business had also followed.

The court heard that on May 31, Mr Hayward became involved in an argument with the couple after writing a rude message about Mrs Flintoft on a pub lottery form.

Yesterday, Mr Hayward said he had written the note in response to insults written about him on a lottery form by the couple. He said: "I look at the form and someone had written "doley" and "scrounger" beside my name.

"I wrote the message about Shelia. I regret doing it now, it was a stupid and childish thing to do."

Both Mr and Mrs Flintoft claim they were assaulted by Mr Hayward, after they met up in the pub toilets. Mr Hayward has pleaded not guilty to assault occasioning actual bodily harm against Mr Flintoft and battery against Mrs Flintoft.

The case continues.