FOUR men who were jailed for a brutal machete attack in an alleyway have failed in their bid to reduce their sentences.

Afghanistan war veteran Ryan Mason, 30, of Festival Road, and co-defendant Adam Michael Pay contacted the 41-year-old victim on August 26 2013 and threatened to stab him, London’s Appeal Court heard.

When the victim arrived at the alleyway at the rear of Newton Street, he was confronted by Mason, Pay and two others – Blake John McPherson and Alan Thomas Johnston. The four, who are all from Millom, were armed with machetes and bottles.

The victim was struck on the back of the neck with a bottle and hit in the ribs with a spike.

He had his left hand sliced open when he raised it to protect himself from a machete blow.

The injury caused difficulties in his employment as a plasterer.

Mason had six previous convictions for six crimes, including assault and threatening behaviour. He suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder and combat stress.

Mason admitted inflicting grievous bodily harm and was caged for three years and seven months at Preston Crown Court on December 9 last year. Johnston, Pay and McPherson admitted the same crime.

Pay, 28, of West County Court, Lancashire Road, got the same sentence as Mason. Johnston, 27, of Castle Street, received a four-year term, and McPherson, 23, of Newton Street, got two years and three months.

Lawyers for the men argued at the Appeal Court that their jail terms were far too tough as it had not been a ‘sustained attack’.

But Lord Justice Gross said: “It was a planned attack by a group of four men armed with an assortment of weapons on one man in an alleyway at night. Some of those weapons were indeed very dangerous, including it seems two machetes. On any view the sentences could not be described as manifestly excessive.”

All four appeals were dismissed.