A thief who assaulted a police officer while in the process of stealing e-bikes worth £2,000 each has narrowly avoided jail. 

David Craig, 53, appeared at Burnley Crown Court on Wednesday after pleading guilty to assault with intent to resist arrest, and two burglaries. 

The court heard how Craig, of Magpie Close, Burnley, had entered KGB Properties on Network 65 Business Park on January 3, where he stole two zoomo e-bikes valued at £2,000 each.

He also stole a further nine boxes of items, also believed to contain e-bikes. 

The bikes were later recovered, but the police had been called to the business park after being alerted to the break-in and upon trying to arrest Craig, the 53-year-old assaulted PC Grimshaw.

In a victim personal statement, PC Grimshaw said the impact of the attack was "significant" and had not only affected him in terms of physical injuries but his "mental health and wellbeing had suffered" as a result of the incident. 

Handing Craig 30 rehabilitation days, and six months of drug rehabilitation as well as a nine month prison sentence suspended for 18 months, judge Sara Dodd said: "You must engage with Inspire.

"And then you must come back to this court for a review in September.

"I then want to see you on a monthly basis to make sure you are not in breach of these requirements.

"If you have not been compliant then you will go to jail."

Craig, who had been on an electronically monitored tag for 111 days was also handed eight weeks in jail for the assault, which Judge Dodd said had been served as a result of the curfew.