A MAN ordered to hand over a bottle of booze under the Blackburn town centre drinking ban struggled violently with police.

Local magistrates heard that during the struggle, the head of Meredith Angus Hughes collided with an officer's face, causing bruising and swelling.

Hughes, 29, of Hope Street, Blackburn, pleaded guilty to police assault and failing to comply with a request to surrender liquor. The magistrates ordered pre-sentence reports and Hughes was remanded on bail until October 18.

Eddie Harrison, prosecuting, said that Hughes tried to hide a bottle of drink when approached by two officers in the early hours of the morning.

He initially denied having a bottle and then refused to hand it over.

Told he was being arrested Hughes replied; "I can drink where I want." Mr Harrison said that as the officers tried to restrain him, Hughes became increasingly aggressive and, as he struggled, his head struck one of the officers.

Jonathon Taylor, defending, said his client had only a sketchy recollection of the event because of the amount he had had to drink. "He accepts he should have handed over the bottle and that things escalated from there".