A FEMALE vocalist from Barrow was punched in the face as she performed a set at a new bar in the town centre.

The New Empire hosted Barrow singer Tiffany Southward on Saturday night, with the evening representing the busiest since the bar opened last month.

In the final five minutes of her set, as 21-year-old Tiffany was singing a cover of Duffy's Warwick Avenue , a female customer from the pub approached her and punched her in the face.

Tiffany, who is originally from Askam, was left with a swollen lip but is not understood to have been seriously injured.

Steve Neale, the bar's licence holder, said everyone in the venue was shocked by the incident.

"It's awful that someone could do that to her," he said.

"The night itself had been fantastic, it was really busy and lots of people had come along to support Tiffany.

"The police have got hold of the CCTV and Tiffany is OK now. I've spoken to her since it happened."

The Empire was open during the 1980s and 1990s and was later rebranded as Sophia's.

Run by licence holder Helen Clauson, Sophia's opened in late 2011 but later closed. Mr Neale took over the venue and opened it again on March 18.

Anyone with information is asked to call 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.