A POLICE officer who punched a Burnley teenager on a night out has been given a two-year conditional discharge.

Police officer Darren Riley, of Bury, pleaded guilty to assaulting 17-year-old Jordan Rhodes on April 6 after leaving Lava nightclub in Burnley while on a night out to celebrate a colleague's retirement.

CCTV footage of the 25-year-old striking the victim outside JJB sports in the town centre was shown to Burnley magistrates.

Riley, who has been with the police for three years, admitted to making a 'pre-emptive' strike against the victim saying he acted in self-defence after the teenager had barged into him.

In a statement read to the court by prosecutor Robert Akers, Riley, who works for Greater Manchester Police, said: "I personally believed this man was going to attack myself and my colleagues and if I walked away he would have attacked me from behind.

"And at this point I made a pre-emptive strike and struck him with my right hand."

Apologising in court, in front of his mother, father and girlfriend, Riley said the last six months had been the worst of his life and jeopardised a career, which had been his dream.

Earlier in the evening the victim had been restrained by doormen as he tried to get into a night club, Sarah Sutherland, defending told the hearing.

As a result of his behaviour that night the victim had sustained a bloody nose, a sore mouth and a chipped tooth, however, it was not possible to attribute any injury to Riley because of the earlier incident with the doorman, the court heard.

The victim admitted to police after the attack that he had been intoxicated after drinking alcopops, beer and liquors, the court was told.

Ms Sutherland said: "This was not an innocent aggrieved but an individual looking for a fight.

"He had already gone to a nightclub where he was refused entry and restrained in a headlock by the doorman and this was when he chipped his tooth.

"Darren Riley made a split second decision and he accepts that this was the wrong decision and for this he is very sorry.

"He accepts that he had been drinking and he then made the unfortunate decision to get some food."

Riley said: "I did not mean to hurt anyone that night. I have never done anything like this before and won't be doing anything like this again.

"I am sorry. I believe it was wrong to assault anyone and the past six months have been the worst six months of my life.

"My career with the police is now in jeopardy.

"Joining the police was my life-long ambition and when this happened it was like my life had been taken away from me by an aggressive individual."

Chair of the bench Ann Gleasure said: "This was an incident where you accept that you went too far and you made a mistake.

"But there was an element of provocation and because of this we have decided to impose a conditional discharge of two year."

The court also awarded £100 in costs and £100 in compensation.

A GMP spokeswoman said: "The officer remains suspended from duty and is subject to an initial disciplinary investigation."