A father-of-two today told how he has been unable to work for 18 months following an horrific attack which almost cost him his sight.

Stephen Pickard said "his life had been turned upside down" after he was beaten up by Shane Mazurke as he left the Five Lane Ends pub in Idle in May 2002.

And the 40-year-old today admitted he would never be able to return to work as a stonemason as he now suffered from double vision.

Mr Pickard, of Eccleshill, Bradford, spent four days in hospital after the attack and had a titanium plate fitted to repair damage around his left eye.

Mazurke, of Bradford Road, Idle, was jailed for four-and-a-half years after being found guilty of causing grievous bodily harm with intent at Bradford Crown Court on Wednesday. He is a former Bradford City footballer in the club's youth team.

During the trial the court heard how Mazurke, 26, continued to kick and punch Mr Pickard as he lay unconscious on the floor.

Mr Pickard, who had worked at a quarry in Cottingley for 13 years before the attack, said he had already had four operations to repair his face.

"I suffered two fractured eye sockets, my upper and lower jaw was broken and there was a fracture in the bone between the roof of my mouth and my left eye," he said.

"The titanium plate will be in there for life to stop my face from collapsing.

"For me four-and-a-half years isn't enough for what he has put me and my family through over the last 18 months.

"For the first six months after it happened my 14-year-old daughter was afraid to come close to me because of the way I looked and my son walked past me in hospital because he didn't recognise me.

"I've tried going back to work but all I've been able to do is sweep or clean up and I'm used to using precision saws which I now can't operate.

"I've been trying to get my life back to normal but it's been very hard."

Mr Pickard said he needed a further operation, in the new year, to try to level the position of his eyes.