Labour MP Ronnie Campbell thumped a reveller during a drunken curry house brawl after he was accused of not paying for his meal, a court heard.

Campbell, 58, "lost it" after suffering constant rants from drunken diner Denise Longman.

He jumped up from his table "purple with rage" and punched her companion Graeme Gillespie as he sat innocently eating his meal, it was alleged.

Magistrates in South East Northumberland heard how Mr Gillespie, 33, had gone to the Pan Ahar restaurant in Blyth, Northumberland, after a night on the town.

When he arrived he found the Blyth Valley MP, a former pitman and a mainstay of Old Labour, sitting in the restaurant enjoying a meal with his son Aidan.

But just minutes later Miss Longman, who is in her 30s, began to hurl abuse at Campbell, accusing him of not paying for his meal and calling him "useless."

Prosecutor Lawrence Sherrington told the court: "It was the late evening of Friday June 29.

"Mr Gillespie had met Denise Longman in the Newsham Hotel. Shortly after 11pm the pair decided to go for an Indian meal at the Pan Ahar restaurant.

"They got in and sat at a table and recognised the MP Ronnie Campbell in the restaurant.

"At some point Denise Longman realised Ronnie Campbell was in the restaurant and started shouting and swearing, calling him useless.

"The defendant's son was shouting abuse and said to Mr Gillespie "I will rip your f***ing head off."

"In the restaurant at the time was a Victoria Sellars, she was in the restaurant with her fianc. Initially they were at the bar.

"They became aware of raised voices and saw Mr Gillespie and Miss Longman at a table and Mr Campbell and his son at another table.

"She heard Denise Longman shout to Mr Campbell "Who the hell do you think you are? you should pay for your meal like everyone else."

"There was an argument between Miss Longman and Mr Campbell jr and she said both were as bad as each other.

"Ronnie Campbell made abusive remarks to her. He called her a slut and a whore who wanted a story for the papers.

"Denise Longman made insulting remarks about Mr Campbell's wife."

But the argument blew up when Aidan Campbell went over to the pair and had to be restrained by his father, waiters in the restaurant and Miss Sellars' fiance.

But just as staff thought they had calmed the situation the court heard how Ronnie Campbell turned and lunged at Mr Gillespie, punching him on the side of the face.

Mr Sherrington said: "He began to walk away but turned around, his face purple with rage, and he struck Mr Gillespie once on the side of his face.

"There was his full weight behind the punch, his nose began to bleed when he was knocked down.

"Miss Sellars was physically sick because of what she witnessed."

Mr Gillespie, 33, from Blyth told the court how he had nine pints and two bottles of lager and was also on diazepam tablets before he went to the curry house.

He told how Denise Longman had started the argument and she had behaved badly while drunk.

He explained she had "gone on and on" at Mr Campbell, making offensive, abusive and embarrassing remarks for 15 to 20 minutes before he was attacked.

He told the court: "I told her to shut up and let it drop but she wouldn't but I had nothing to do with it.

"His son threatened me, he said he was going to "f***ing kill" me. I hadn't threatened him or taken part in anything.

"I was about to tuck into my meal and was sitting down and out of the corner of my eye I saw Mr campbell and another person get up ready to leave.

"After that I got a blow to the left side of my face."

Mr Gillespie admitted he did not see who carried out the attack but witnesses told him it was the MP who left the restaurant after the punch-up.

Mr Gillespie was given tissues to mop up his bleeding nose and the following day contacted police.

He went to see his doctor and was transferred for X-rays to hospital and still suffers headaches, bleeding for his nose and numbness in his face.

Campbell was arrested and denied carrying out the attack. He said he had suffered abuse himself and had only stepped in to break up a fight when his son was trying to defend his name.

Aidan Campbell, 26, and Denise Longman agreed to be bound over the keep the peace after admitting their part in the fracas.

Ronnie Campbell denies common assault and a public order offence.

The trial, expected to last two days, continues.