A POLICE officer who went to assist colleagues dealing with an incident outside O'Neill's bar in King William Street, Blackburn, saw Steven McLauchlan with a bottle in his hand shouting at a policewoman.

Blackburn magistratres heard that McLauchlan was arrested and charged with threatening behaviour but it was now accepted that the bottle had never been brandished and there was no intention to use it as a weapon.

McLauchlan, 33, a scaffolder, of Delph Approach, Blackburn, admitted a breach of the peace and was bound over in £200 to keep the peace for 12 months. The threatening behaviour charge was withdrawn.

Peter Wilde, prosecuting, said a PC Gillibrand arrived at the pub and as he got out of his car saw a female colleague, PC Devlin, arresting a large man who was detained on the floor.

He saw McLauchlan, with the bottle in his hand, shouting that she could not arrest the other man.

Jonathon Taylor, defending, said McLauchlan apologised for what had happened. He said McLauchlan had walked out of the pub with his girlfriend and felt the police were being heavy-handed in the arrest of the other man.

"He intervened but accepts now that he shouldn't have done," said Mr Taylor.

"He just happened to have the bottle with him, but he did not use it in a threatening manner towards any of the officers."