TWO Somerset teenagers beat up a man who took their football after they repeatedly kicked it at his car while he visited Waitrose.

Finn Alan McDonald Eaglesome, 18, and Joe Hodgkins, 19, attacked Oliver Selby after shouting foul language at him.

They followed him to his house and Mr Selby didn't have time to get inside before he was set upon by Eaglesome, Hodgkins, and another teen, the court heard.

The pair have appeared before Magistrates in Somerset where they pleaded guilty to the assault on April 25.

Eaglesome, from West Pennard, and Hodgkins, from Burnham-on-Sea, appeared in the dock together.

Prosecutor Lindsey Baker said that Mr Selby was in his car parked in a Waitrose multi-storey car park when he saw the defendants on the first floor.

They were kicking a football which hit the rear driver's side door of his car so he got out and kicked it away.

"Ten minutes later another football came over from the defendants and landed on the road so the victim picked it up and drove off home with it," she said.

"Eaglesome, Hodgkins and another male then arrived in a car at the victim's address and Mr Selby didn't even have time to walk into his house when Eaglesome walked up to him.

"He grabbed the victim's hooded top pushing him backwards saying 'where's the ****ing ball?'

"He then climbed over the bonnet of his car, opened the door, removed the football and walked back to his car.

"Hodgkins grabbed Mr Selby's collar, raised his fist and punched him to the right side of his face causing him to stumble backwards."

The three males left and the police were called and the victim had cuts and scratch marks to his nose and his cheek was red and tender.

During interview, Eaglesome admitted following the victim back to his house and touching him but said he didn't push him hard.

Hodgkins said that both him and the victim had hold of each other and exchanged verbal insults and he then struck him once to the side of his face.

He said he realised how stupid it was and said it was a "silly argument" over a football and he wanted to apologise for his actions.

Ms Baker said that all three males were offered a conditional caution by the police and the third one complied but the two defendants did not.

Mitigating, solicitor Neil Priest said that both defendants were remorseful for what happened.

"It was an argument over a football that got out of hand and the assaults were not the most serious type," he said.

Chair of the magistrates, Judy Watson, said: "This was the most stupid thing to do and was an act of extreme bullying to follow someone home.

"Then to assault them over a football was just ridiculous."

Both defendants were ordered to pay the victim £110 compensation as punishment for the offence and no costs or victim surcharge were imposed.