POLICE called to a Blackburn town centre incident found a drunken man lying on the floor at 12.30pm on a Saturday.

The town’s magistrates heard Jason Lee Howard had been detained by The Mall security staff because he was causing a nuisance on Ainsworth Street on November 21.

Howard, 41, of Queen Victoria Street, Blackburn, failed to attend to answer a charge of being drunk and disorderly. He was convicted in his absence and fined £180 with £85 costs.

Katie Lord, prosecuting, said Howard had been standing in the street shouting and swearing at passers-by.

Howard refused to engage with an officer and began shouting and swearing and making threats towards her. “There was no reasoning with him and he was arrested,” said Miss Lord.