A CHIP shop owner was bitten on the arm during a frenzied row over a ‘disgusting’ potato scallop, a court heard yesterday.

Fish fryer Paulos Iasonides, who runs Reedley Chippy, claims Hayley Marie Jones launched the attack after demanding her money back over a teacake and scallops dinner.

He told Burnley Crown Court that Jones came at him ‘like a wolf’ and sank her teeth into his arm, as he was trying to force her out of his Burnley Road shop.

Jones, 33, of Commercial Street, Brierfield, has denied assaulting Mr Iasonides during a confrontation at the chippy, on April 12.

Shirlie Duckworth, prosecuting, said Mr Iasonides was working at the chip shop, while his wife, Hariklitsa, ran the hairdressers upstairs, when Jones came in around 2pm.

Mr Iasonides told the court that Jones appeared to be the worse for wear and he could smell ‘brandy’ on her breath, or a similar spirit. The court heard that the pair quibbled over the price but eventually she bought a teacake and two potato scallops, before going outside.

He said she came back three or four minutes later, and began shouting abuse at him, and demanding her money back. Mr Iasonides said he gave Jones her mon-ey back, but she continued to abuse him.

“She was like a mad person. She was like a wolf,” he told the jury.

He alleges she then tried to force her way behind the counter, towards the till, and he prevented her from doing so, fearing she may pick up a knife to stab him, and because the friers containing hot oil were only yards away. He told the court his wife heard shouting and screaming and came downstairs to help him remove Jones. He also said Jones drew blood when she scratched behind his ear, and kicked him.

Defence counsel Mark Stuart suggested to Mr Iasonides he had pulled her hair when she tried to get behind the counter, which he denied. Mr Stuart also said Jones had tried to return the scallops bec ause they were ‘disgusting’, and the chip shop owner had placed it back on the hot plate.

But Mr Iasonides said he threw the food straight in the bin because she had taken a bite out of it.

The trial continues.