A MOTORIST angry at a parking ticket waged a five-month hate campaign against traffic wardens, a jury was told.

Furious Glen Chadwick attacked parking attendant, Martin Thomas, and threatened another with a hammer following an incident when he was ticketed in Cow Lane Burnley, a court heard.

Burnley Crown Court heard that Chadwick, 50, of Cog Lane, Burnley, had made threats to warden Mark Shearman telling him he knew where he lived and that he had a partner and small child.

He said he would "break his legs" or kill him, during two incidents in January and February, it is alleged.

Chadwick denies charges of putting Mr Shearman in fear of violence, assaulting Mr Thomas, possession of an offensive weapon and intimidating a witness.

Jeremy Grout-Smith, prose-cuting, said that the matters began on December 7 when Mr Shearman issued a parking ticket to Chad-wick's Saab.

Chadwick began remonstrating with the warden but the ticket was still handed out.

The court heard that Mr Shearman was on patrol in Burnley town centre in January when he was approached by Chadwick, who urged him to cancel his original parking ticket, as his appeal against the penalty had failed.

The warden told him that was not possible and then Chadwick threat-ened him, correctly informing Mr Shearman of his home address and the fact he had a partner and child.

Later in January, Mr Shearman saw Chadwick again who threatened to "break his legs" and there was another angry confro-ntation in February.

Mr Grout-Smith said that Mr Shearman was on patrol with his colleague Mr Thomas on Padiham Road, Burnley, on April 1, when Chadwick's blue Saab pulled up nearby.

Chadwick threatened the wardens and, as Mr Shearman tried to note down his registration number, the driver grabbed hold of Mr Thomas.

He swung the warden across the bonnet of his car and hit him "four or five times" about the head.

He then brandished a hammer at Mr Shearman. The wardens then ran away.

But the incident had been witnessed, in part, by a passing motorist, who alerted police and Chadwick was arrested shortly afterwards.

Interviewed by police, Chadwick denied being on Padiham Road and having seen any traffic wardens that day.

A video identification parade was later held and the defendant was picked out by Mr Shearman.

But although Mr Thomas also selected Chadwick, using the same process, he said he was not "100 per cent sure", the court heard.

Mr Grout-Smith said that Mr Thomas was working, again in Burnley, on May 23, when he was approached by Chadwick in Cow Lane.

He asked whether the warden recognised him before threatening: "If I go down for this I will take one of you with me".

Arrested again, Chadwick claimed Mr Thomas was the aggressor.

(Proceeding)