A POLICE officer was lucky to escape serious injury after being pushed by a drunken man who had been on his work Christmas party.

Blackburn magistrates heard the officer fell backwards, banging his head on the wall and pavement, as he tried to arrest Mark Anthony Walker.

But the officer got to his feet and gave chase as Walker ran off, scaling a seven foot metal fence.

Walker, 26, of Old Station Court, Clitheroe, pleaded guilty to being drunk and disorderly, damaging a car wing mirror and assaulting PC Henry Bellshaw with intent to resist arrest.

He was made subject to an electronically monitored curfew for six weeks between 7pm and 7am, and ordered to pay £100 compensation to the owner of the car, £150 to PC Bellshaw and £145 costs.

Catherine Allan, prosecuting, said police saw Walker, who was clearly intoxicated, shouting and swearing at a female.

She said: “When PC Bellshaw went to handcuff the defendant he pushed him, causing him to fall backwards.”

Jonathan Taylor, defending, said Walker accepted he had drunk far too much.”