A pedestrian was left with blood pouring from his head after he was clipped by the wing mirror of a bus as he crossed a busy Oxford street, a court heard.

Nicholas Pollard needed 11 stitches for a deep cut after being struck by the Stagecoach bus while crossing George Street.

Bus driver Lee Spencer, 28, of Beech Road, Botley, was found guilty of driving without due care and attention by Oxford Magistrates on Thursday.

Spencer, who denied the charge, was fined £250 and given four penalty points on his driving licence.

Mr Pollard, a printer, who was having a night out with colleagues on December 19 last year, was walking with a group of workmates from the Goose pub to Yates's Bar, when the incident took place just before 10pm.

Bryony Darbyshire, prosecuting, said: "Mr Pollard was slightly ahead of his friends. He had almost made it over the road. "Just as he was about to reach the kerb the bus drove past and clipped Mr Pollard on the back of his head with the wing mirror."

Mr Pollard, 35, of Botley, said he had checked the road was clear before starting to cross, but he had not seen the bus coming from the direction of Broad Street.

He said: "It went dark, and the next thing I knew I was on the floor. My head was pouring with blood and my glasses were smashed. I didn't know what had happened."

Mr Pollard was taken to the John Radcliffe Hospital by ambulance.

Spencer, who had no previous convictions, told the court that George Street had been busier than normal that night and that he had been travelling between 15mph and 20 mph.

He said: "I was accelerating down the road and when I saw the people crossing the road I stopped accelerating and applied the brakes."

Spencer said he thought he had given them enough time to reach the pavement, and denied driving carelessly.

He said he heard something hit the wing mirror -- which stuck out from the bus about 12in -- so he pulled over and went to see what had happened.

Presiding magistrate Jenny Selby told Spencer: "As the driver of a bus in a busy street where there were a lot of pedestrians, you should have showed and taken more care as you reached the pedestrians who were not fully clear of the road."

Spencer was also ordered to pay £100 towards prosecution costs.

Adam Rideout, a spokesman for Stagecoach, said: "Lee Spencer is currently going through our company disciplinary procedure.

"Our thoughts are with the injured party concerned who was hurt on December 19."