POP star Lee Ryan has been fined for punching a taxi driver in a road rage incident.

The judge rejected the former Blue star's claim he acted in self-defence when he hit taxi driver Naeem Ibrahim on December 31, in Oxted, Surrey.

Ryan, of Laurel Gardens, Bickley, denied assault but was found guilty after a two-day trial at Guildford Magistrates' Court.

The 25-year-old singer was fined £500. He was also ordered to pay £450 costs and £300 compensation to his victim, as well as a £15 surcharge - to go to the victims of crime.

The court heard the incident happened after Ryan's fiancee Samantha Miller drove her Ford Ka into the back of Mr Ibrahim's taxi while Ryan was leaning over to kiss her.

When Ryan got out of the car he got into an argument with Mr Ibrahim and hit him, knocking the taxi driver to the ground and leaving him with a swelling behind his left ear.

District Judge Bob Booker told Ryan: "I regard the incident as an over-reaction to the position you were put in."

But he added: "The injury was only a minor one."

The judge ruled out sending Ryan to prison or imposing a community service order after Raymond Lewis, defending, warned that doing community service work would expose the singer to unwanted public attention and harassment.

Outside court, Ryan, holding the hand of his pregnant fiancee, said: "I am not a violent person. Many times in the past I have acted to defuse situations."