CRICKETER Richard Cooper went into a drink and drug induced frenzy when police were called because of his bizarre behaviour, a court was told.

Blackburn magistrates heard that in the violent struggle that followed one officer was bitten on the hand, a female officer was punched in the face and an off-duty officer who came to their assistance was also injured.

The court heard at one stage Cooper was sprayed with CS gas but it had no effect on him.

The former Lancashire Schools cricketer played for the East Lancashire first team when he was 17. The East Lancs captain, Philip Mercer was in court to support him.

Cooper, 23, of St James' Road, Blackburn, pleaded guilty to assaulting PC Gary Dundavan causing him actual bodily harm, assaulting PC Lyndsey Thornton and assaulting Michael Parkinson. He was made subject to a community rehabilitation order for 12 months, with a condition that he attends the substance related offending programme, and ordered to pay £100 compensation to each of the on duty officers, £50 to the third officer and £60 costs.

Neil White, prosecuting, said the incident happened at 9.20am on Sunday, April 27, in West Leigh Road. Two officers, alerted by a member of the public, approached him outside a house. They said he seemed agitated, shifting from one foot to the other and clenching and unclenching his fists.

"He was breathing heavily and sweating profusely and began to demand that the officers show him some ID despite the fact they were in uniform," said Mr White.

"The officers asked him what the problem was and he began to shout that they were going to kill him. Without warning he began to lash out with his fists and there followed a violent struggle."

Michael Blacklidge, defending, said Cooper had been working at the Windmill, Preston New Road, the previous evening and after work he and some friends had gone into town drinking. He said they went back to a friend's house were some vodka was drunk and one of his friends produced some drugs.

"A cocktail of ecstasy, other drugs and alcohol proved to be his downfall," said Mr Blacklidge. "He started to suffer from paranoid thoughts and delusions and left the house after one of his friends called a taxi. He got out of the taxi at the top of Pleckgate Road because his delusionary thoughts had spread to the taxi driver who he thought was out to get him."

Mr Blacklidge said there were than a couple of "missing hours" before Cooper was seen in West Leigh Road.

He added: "He's determined now to make his family proud of him once again," said Mr Blacklidge. "He has ambitions to move on in his career and cricket."