A TEENAGER who behaved "almost like an animal," when police arrived to arrest his bail bandit friend, is behind bars for seven months.

Burnley Crown Court heard how John Wigglesworth, 19, abused and spat at an officer and then punched him in the face knocking him down.

Sending him to detention, Judge Raymond Bennett said police had a difficult job to do and the defendant had deliberately set out to obstruct the officer. The officer was bound to arrest the other man, who was in breach of bail, and Wigglesworth displayed "almost the behaviour of an animal."

Wigglesworth, of Persia Street, Accrington, admitted police assault and obstructing a police officer and had been committed for sentence by the Hyndburn Magistrates.

Roger Green, prosecuting, said police were on duty on a street in Accrington in August and an officer recognised a man wanted for breaching bail. The man ran into a house and the defendant and another person obstructed an officer's path.

The man then appeared on the outside window sill of an upstairs window, Wigglesworth stood directly below it and was told to move. The defendant, who had been drinking, said the other man was not going anywhere, and challenged the officer to go in a back alley. The officer thought he was going to be hit, told the defendant to calm down and said if he continued making threats, he would be arrested. Wigglesworth shouted to the man to jump from the sill and as the officer moved to push the defendant to one side, the defendant spat in his face. He then moved towards him with a clenched fist and the officer feared attack and CS gassed him.

Mr Green said Wigglesworth later punched the officer in the face, knocking him to the ground, and the defendant stood above him, gesticulating to him to get up. The officer was somewhat dazed, could feel blood, but Wigglesworth continued to shout obscenities and was arrested when more police arrived. He struggled violently, was wrestled to the floor, put in handcuffs and continued to shout abuse.

The defendant was eventually put in the back of a secure police Land Rover and taken to the police station.

Mr Green said the officer went to hospital and was found to have suffered a cut above his eye, swelling and could not see out of one eye. When Wigglesworth was interviewed he said police had had no justification in CS gassing him.

Anthony Cross, defending, said all the defendant's convictions since 1997 had been entirely drink related.

Wigglesworth recognised he must go to a Young Offenders' Institution. Mr Cross went on: "This was very bad behaviour. He knows that. I ask the court to give him some hope on his release."