A 29-year-old Accrington man suffered extensive injuries as he struggled with police officers in a cell at Greenbank police station, Whitebirk, a court heard.

Blackburn magistrates were told that Shaun Liam Warner was left with two black eyes, swollen ears, sore shoulders and a dead leg.

But he was charged with assault after one of the officers suffered “slight reddening” to his knee after the defendant’s tooth came into contact with it, the court herard.

MacMillan, of Grasmere Close, pleaded guilty to assaulting PC Tim McDermott and being drunk and disorderly outside the Imperial in Accrington town centre.

He was fined £360 and ordered to pay £50 compensation and £70 costs.

Neil White, prosecuting, said after he had been taken to the police station he was taken to a cell because of his non-compliance and officers were forcibly stripping him.

The police accepted putting him on the floor and hitting him across the head to alter his “mind set” because he was struggling, Mr White said.

It was also accepted he had been struck on the thigh as a distraction technique and the officer who was assaulted admitted punching him two or three times with his clenched fist because he felt he was being bitten.

“The police accept they treated him roughly but with good reason because they had to stop him behaving in the way that he was,” said Mr White.

Scott Parker, defending, said the evening had started as a family outing to say farewell to the defendant’s brother who was returning to his army unit.

They were in the Imperial when trouble broke out and MacMillan’s concern was to get his elderly grandma out of the pub to safety.

“He was wrongly identified as a trouble maker and the police took him away,” said Mr Parker.

“He was trying to explain but it fell on deaf ears.”

Mr Parker said MacMillan had not deliberately bitten the officer and the assault had been reckless.

Mr Parker said: “He was being held by three officers who were using handcuffs and one has been very candid in his statement, stating that he punched my client as hard as he could three times.”