Ben Stokes was the 'main aggressor' in a late night street fight in Bristol that left one ​man with serious facial injuries including a broken eye socket and deep cut to his face, a court heard.

The England cricketer knocked out Ryan Ali with one punch while the firefighter appeared to be backing away from a confrontation, a jury at Bristol crown court was told.

The court heard that Stokes had been out with teammates in Bristol city centre celebrating victory over the West Indies in an ODI last September. He and fellow cricketer Alex Hales were denied re-entry to Mbargo, after returning to the nightclub, where they had earlier been drinking, at 2.08am after the venue had stopped allowing patrons in for the evening.

The prosecution's case is that at around 2.35am Stokes was captured on CCTV, brawling with co-defendants Mr Ali and Ryan Hale. All three deny a charge of affray.

Footage was earlier shown to the jury that the prosecution said depicted Stokes mocking Kai Barry and William O’Connor, described as a 'flamboyant, extrovert and openly gay young couple' before flicking the stub of a lit cigarette towards the head of O’Connor.

The trial continues.