A POLICE officer feared he might be struck down by disease after blood-stained spit landed on his lips.

Burnley Magistrates heard how teenager Dean Anthony Taylor, 18, had spat at both the officer and a colleague and also struck one in the shin after they had been trying to put him into a police van.

Taylor, who also flouted court orders, was sent to detention for a total of five months, after admitting failing to comply with community rehabilitation orders, using threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour and two counts of police assault.

Sentencing him, the bench said he had ignored previous court orders, was unwilling to co-operate with the probation service and was a persistent offender.

They added some of the worst aspects of his behaviour had been that he had been drunk and had attacked public servants.

Joanne Shahzada, prosecuting, said on October 4, police went to a disturbance at the Starkie Arms, Padiham and arrested somebody after the landlord made an allegation of assault.

When they were dealing with that person the defendant was seen to throw a punch at another male in the car park and an officer went to restrain him. Taylor threatened to rip off the officer's head, said he would have the officer and was squaring up to the police and kicking out. The defendant was handcuffed and taken to the police van, still threatening violence.

Miss Shahzada said Taylor then turned round and spat at the two officers. Blood-stained spit landed on both and the defendant was taken to Burnley police station. He was still being abusive, threatening and kicking out as officers tried to restrain him.

One of the officers had ended up with the spit on his lips and was worried he might "contract some disease."

Nigel Holden, defending, said Taylor was quite philosophical about his plight. The common denominator in the offences was drink and the defendant freely admitted he enjoyed it and it got him into trouble.