A drunken mother-of-two whose daughter is a doctor attacked a paramedic and spat at a police officer.

Marilyn Williams, 54, turned on the two victims after she had been found collapsed in the street and they arrived to help her.

Williams, whose daughter, the court was told, is a doctor, punched paramedic Daniel Box on the chin but her spit missed the officer during the incident last November, Burnley magistrates heard.

The defendant, of Eckroyd Close, Nelson, admitted assault by beating and police assault and was bailed until February 4, for an all options open pre-sentence report.

The bench was told how Williams was seen collapsed in the street by a local resident and police and the paramedic found her drunk.

David Leach, defending, told the court police had tried to take Williams back to her former home which had been fire damaged and was still in a state of disrepair.

She had been living in temporary accommodation and was trying to tell officers and the paramedic she wanted to go back there.

They tried to get her to go into the former address but she didn't want to.

Mr Leach said Williams struck Mr Box a single blow and spat towards the officer as he was trying to restrain her. She conceded it was a disgusting thing to do and was remorseful, Mr Leach said.

The solicitor said :"Certainly no member of the National Health Service should ever be asssulted in the course of their duties."

Mr Leach said a nurse who saw Williams at the police station after her arrest was concerned about her health and she was taken to hospital where she was detained a week. It was thought she might have had a heart attack.

Mr Leach added Williams, who divorced 22 years ago, then had a problematic relationship which ended 10 years ago and she started to drink. The defendant suffered angina, anxiety and depression, arthritis, spondilosis and had an underactive thyroid. He said: "She has a deep rooted problem with alcohol. Custody would serve this lady no good whatsoever."