TWO Stourport schoolboys were injured during an attack by a man at a supermarket car park in the town, Worcester Crown Court heard.

The 15-year-olds were with a group of friends at Lidl's, in Vale Road, when they heard shouting.

Store manageress Kerry Hopewell pointed out one youth to her partner Michael Vella - who was picking her up from work - and branded the teenager ''the cocky one'', said prosecutor Tariq Shakoor.

He alleged that youths had been a nuisance to Miss Hopewell in the past and she had ordered them to leave the car park on a previous occasion.

Mr Shakoor said Vella marched over to one youth, threatened to knife him and pushed his head into a wall.

He claimed Vella then punched the second victim on the jaw. The youth collapsed, banging his head on the ground.

Vella, aged 36, of Bullfinch Close, Worcester, denies two counts of assaulting the teenagers and causing them actual bodily harm.

Violence erupted at about 8pm on November 11 last year after eight boys and girls congregated outside the supermarket.

Mr Shakoor said the defendant became angry and must have been informed about the group by his partner.

The first victim, who suffered cuts and needed hospital treatment, told the jury that Vella ordered him off the car park before grabbing him.

''He pushed me up against a wall by the neck and I hit my head. Then he pushed my head against the wall again. He was shouting at me,'' he said.

Mr Shakoor said the other victim told Vella to ''chill out'' before he was punched and left dazed. He suffered a swelling on his head and a cut mouth.

Vella left with his partner in their car and was arrested a fortnight later. He declined to answer most of the police questions.

The youngsters told police the attacker had a pierced eyebrow and a goatee beard. One witness took down the registration number of Vella's vehicle.

He was picked out by two witnesses at an identification parade, although he had no beard at the time. He insisted he shaved it off six months earlier.

Mr Shakoor said: ''The Crown's case is that he learnt something about their behaviour and took matters into his own hands in a very inappropriate way.''

The trial continues.