FORMER Burnley football star Nathan Peel was sprayed with CS gas by police after he challenged an officer to a fight outside a town centre pub, a court heard today.

Peel was given a 12-month conditional discharge after pleading guilty at Hyndburn Magistrates to using threatening and abusive behaviour in Lowergate, Clitheroe, on August 2.

Striker Peel, 26, of Victoria Street, Clitheroe, who spent two seasons at Turf Moor and also played for Preston North End, Sheffield United, Macclesfield and Rotherham before joining Unibond Premier League side Winsford United last season, was also fined £40 costs.

Philip Potter, prosecuting, said: "Officers attended an incident outside the Keystreet pub where it appeared two groups of people were having an altercation on a car park.

"The police tried to calm some of the women involved down and asked the groups to leave. But the defendant, who smelled of intoxicants, refused to leave, saying he was only helping a friend."

The magistrates heard that while the others involved walked away, Peel began to push one of the officers and started swearing at him and asking for a fight. "The defendant asked the officer to go 'one on one' with him," said Mr Potter. "The officers attempted to arrest him, but he struggled."

Police eventually had to use CS gas spray to calm Peel down, and accidentally hit a member of the public while doing so, the court was told.

Peel continued to be aggressive at the police station, telling officers the case would not reach court and he would get a barrister, Mr Potter added.

John Houldsworth, defending, said Peel had been talking to a girl in Keystreet and when he later left the pub, he saw the same girl involved in the argument in Lowergate.

"He saw the altercation between some of the girls and intervened, trying to break it up," said Mr Houldsworth.

"But when the police arriced they made a judgement that he was involved in the fight. He somewhat lost his temper and used inappropriate and stupid language."

Mr Houldsworth said Peel, who now runs a sports clothing business in Liverpool, was a man of otherwise good character who regretted and apologised for the incident.

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