2007 World Championship bronze medallist Euan Burton's dreams of European Championship glory ended in tatters on a miserable day for British Judo on Saturday in Georgia.

With former world champion Craigh Fallon and fellow Beijing Olympian Peter Cousins absent from the Euro's in Tbilisi with injury Burton was Britain's biggest medal hope among the men.

But it wasn't to be for the 30-year-old as he failed to take heart and build on fellow Scot Sarah Clark's silver medal heroics in the -57kg category on Friday.

Burton, who missed out on a medal in Beijing in August crashing out in the repecharge, came up short again in the -81kg class losing to eventual semi-finalist Axel Clerget in the second round.