POLICE responding to a report of a group of men fighting in the street were met with a wall of silence when they arrived.

Blackburn magistrates heard none of the young men at the scene would talk about what had happened but that David Andrew Stafford was arrested after shouting abuse at officers.

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Stafford, 20, of Ailsa Road, Blackburn, pleaded guilty to using threatening behaviour. He was fined £70 with £105 costs.

Parveen Akhtar, prosecuting, said when the police arrived at Catlow Hall Street, Oswaltwistle, the men were walking away and they refused to speak to the officers. Stafford started shouting abuse and was arrested.

Phil Smithies, defending, said none of the young men wanted anything to do with the police and were walking away.

He said a few days earlier Stafford had been chased by a dog and fell, cutting his hand and needed 19 stitches.

“A police officer asked him why his hand was bandaged up and he told him and also asked him not to touch it,” said Mr Smithies.

“He says the officer grabbed his hand and squeezed it and that was why he said what he said.

“After he was arrested he had to be taken to hospital because his hand was bleeding quite badly.”