A man accused of taking part in a fight in Folkestone has told a jury that the Gurkha group known as The Dragon Guys are not charity workers - but gangsters.

Christopher Bradley, 57, is alleged to have joined restaurant boss Lil Roka in a punch up in October 2012 which left four people injured.

But Bradley, who denies wielding a brick during the incident, has told a jury at Canterbury Crown Court that he had been acting a peacekeeper.

He rejected a suggestion by prosecutor Vivian Walters that the Dragon Guys were a group of serving and former soldiers with the Gurkha Regiment who raised money for charity in Folkestone.

Bradley, of Shaftesbury Avenue, told the court: "I have never seen them raise money in the town. I thought they were called Dragon Heads or Red Dragons, like something from a film.

"I heard they were from London, someone, I can’t remember who it was, told me they were not very nice people from London."

The prosecutor told Bradley: "That’s nonsense isn't it? These are local men, either serving soldiers or former soldiers, living in Cheriton, who together do a bit of charitable work.

"There is not a shred of evidence that these are anything other than a few friends who try to do good works."

Bradley retorted: "No it's not. There are people from the Nepalese community who do charity work but they aren't part of it.

"Just from their name, Dragon Guys, its like the Yakuza in Japan or the Triad from the Chinese. I have never ever seen them do charity work. It is just hearsay but I was told that they are not very nice people."

He claimed the fight was because Roka wanted to get out of the gang because "they were nasty people".

Bradley has denied two charges of assault, possessing an offensive weapon and affray.

"There are people from the Nepalese community who do charity work but they aren't part of it. Just from their name, Dragon Guys, its like the Yakuza in Japan or the Triad from the Chinese. They are not very nice people..." - Christopher Bradley

Former Gurkha soldier Roka, of Sevastopol Place, Canterbury had earlier denied charges of wounding, wounding with intent, three assaults, possessing an unlawful weapon and affray.

Roka hasn't been in the dock and the trial has continued in his absence.

Bradley said he knew the restaurant boss for six months prior to the incident – "just as a customer" - but went after him when he took a phone call.

"He (Roka) was a bit irate and angry and I knew there was going to be trouble," he said.

Witnesses had described Roka as "bad tempered, aggressive and volatile" but Bradley said: "I never saw that".

One of the alleged victims Prem Gahamagar – known as The Boxer - told the jury how Bradley smashed the window with a brick so he grabbed it from him and it was then that Roka tried to stab him.

But Bradley claimed he followed Roka to Cadet Hall in Church Road, Cheriton to try to keep his friend from getting attacked.

He said he pulled his friend away as he was being attacked and received an elbow in the face from Roka for his troubles.

"It was just manic. I just went to help a friend. That's all I did."

The prosecutor said that the car driver Pawan Rai saw the defendants running towards him with a knife – which resembled a Gurkha Kukri - and was cut across arm with it.

He said that Bradley then swung at his head with the brick but he managed to duck out of the way.

He also saw Roka punching other people and went to stop it but was then punched in the side of the head.

"Andriyas Rai – another of the witnesses – said he saw the two running around attacking anyone who was there," she claimed

The jury heard that Mr Rai received a broken tooth and bruising to his face after being struck with the butt of the knife and was later knocked out by another blow to the back of his head.

Ms Walters added: "He didn't remember anything else until he woke up in the back of the ambulance on the way to hospital.

Another witness, Raj Pun, told police how he pleaded with Roka and Bradley to stop but was stabbed through his jacket and punched by Bradley.

The trial, which started last week, continues.