Three men who went on the rampage in a pub on Christmas Eve throwing food, bottles and a snooker ball at customers in a “shameful and drunken attack” have been jailed.

Vennie Arrowsmith, aged 26, Ben Edwards, 22, and Lindsey Ross, 20, all from Walsall, pleaded guilty to affray after the brawl at The Carousel in Bloxwich.

The men attacked a family having drinks, kicking and punching them, and spat in trays of food prepared by the landlord after getting into random arguments.

During the attacks, which were shown on CCTV at Wolverhampton Crown Court, at least two girls were punched in the face while another had food dropped on her head.

Mr Darron Whitehead, prosecuting, said: “Arrowsmith picked up a plate of food and spat in it, before placing it on top of a customer’s head. The CCTV shows him kicking someone in the leg, causing her to fall.

“As it escalated, Ross joined in by kicking someone on the floor, and Edwards grappled with two people and punched one of them in the face.

“There were four complainants to the attacks, another of whom was kicked in the face while on the floor.

“Arrowsmith threw a pool ball and bottles at the customers and armed himself with a pool cue.”

Mr Whitehead said one customer had a fractured finger, another had cuts to the abdomen, a third had swelling to the face and bruised lips while the fourth had skin hanging off his face where he was hit.

Arrowsmith, of Bentley Lane; Edwards, of Roebuck Road, and Ross, of Tintern Crescent, all pleaded guilty to affray. Arrowsmith was jailed for 16 months, Edwards for 15 months and Ross for three months.

Judge Nicholas Webb said: “This is so serious, only a custodial sentence will do. This was a shameful and drunken attack, with mindless violence displayed.”