THE head doorman of a York night club claimed he was a gangster figure with a police officer "in his pocket" to whom he gave cocaine, a court heard today.

Security man Marc Shane Ward, 30, was giving evidence in his own defence against a charge that he, jointly with Paul Sawford, beat up a customer just outside the Gallery night club on Boxing night 2000.

Ward alleged that he had heard through rumour - and what Sawford, then head doorman, had told him - that Sawford portrayed himself as well-connected and from a gangster scene in Manchester.

"He (Sawford) was reported to have a police officer in his pocket, so to speak, in York," said Ward.

"The rumour was that at the time he was supplying her with cocaine and she was seeing him and she was his girlfriend essentially."

The day after the alleged attack, Ward said he told Sawford there were two women who had seen what had happened. "We are knackered really, they are bound to go to the police," Ward alleged he told Sawford. Sawford responded by showing him a police incident log of the alleged assault with names and addresses of witnesses and Sawford told him the matter would never get to court.

"My response was: 'Nothing to do with me mate'," said Ward.

Ward explained that the assault and possible intimidation of witnesses had nothing to do with him.

He secretly took a copy of the incident log which he later gave to police. Ward also told the court he was a prosecution witness in a court case involving Sawford and York-based PC Clare Woodall last month.

Ward denies causing actual bodily harm.

He alleged that he lied in a police interview about what happened on Boxing night because he did not want to incriminate Sawford.

The trial continues.

Updated: 15:15 Friday, April 12, 2002