TWO men who attacked a visitor to a town after a drinking session have been locked up.

A judge described the unprovoked attack by James Loomes and pal Timothy Robinson as "truly shocking and appalling".

Their Latvian victim, Oleg Simanec, suffered fractures to his nose and cheek, a black eye and bruising in the beating in Thirsk.

Loomes, 25, had been out of prison for only 12 days when he and his teenage friend attacked Mr Simanec on August 12.

The judge, Recorder Gillian Matthews, told the pair: "There was no reason for this unprovoked attack on a visitor to this country. Society cannot tolerate that sort of behaviour.

"This is not the sort of picture of drunken yobbery we wish to create in our country, let alone in a small country market town."

Teesside Crown Court heard yesterday that doctors initially feared Mr Simanec had suffered a fractured skull in the sustained assault.

Loomes's barrister, Robin Turton, said: "This was a disgraceful incident in which these two defendants, for no real reason, assaulted quite grotesquely this purely innocent member of the public.

"It was a far from warm welcome for a foreigner in a foreign land."

Mr Turton said that Loomes had led a "listless and directionless" life which had seen him convicted of an array of offences since 1999, including racially-aggravated assault, affray, battery and burglary.

He said that his client had shown remorse, was ashamed of what he had done and was determined to put his time behind bars to good use by preparing for his eventual release.

Chris Baker, for Robinson, 17, who has convictions for assault and threatening behaviour, said: "His record for violence is incredible for a man of his age.

"But, it is right to say that Timothy Robinson's problems are based around his abuse of alcohol and his choice of hanging around with those who are perhaps more criminally sophisticated than himself, and getting into inevitable trouble."

Robinson, of Hambleton Avenue, Thirsk, was locked up for a 12-month detention and training order. Loomes, of no fixed address, was jailed for 18 months. They both admitted inflicting grievous bodily harm.