A POLICE officer on duty during last year's disturbances in Burnley has told a court how he and his colleagues were abused by gangs of drunken white men.

PC Derek Entwistle told Preston Crown Court he and his colleagues were on Colne Road during the troubles last year.

The defence asked PC Entwistle whether the landlady of the Duke of York pub made him aware that some of the regulars were BNP supporters.

PC Entwistle said he spoke to three customers in the pub and described one as extremely drunk.

He said: "At the time his eyes were glazed, his speech was slurred and he smelt of intoxicants. He was very drunk and abusive. He was so drunk it didn't appear he knew who I was."

PC Entwistle said he and his colleagues went to the Baltic Fleet where there was a group of about 10 men, which included the man who had been abusive.

PC Entwistle said: "He was arguing, shouting abuse although he seemed to have regained some composure and was aware I was a police officer. He kept making racially abusive comments. He was aggressive and it was obvious that his intentions were to attack Asians."

Mohammed Bashir, 22, of Forest Street, Burnley; Mohammed Nawaz, 35, of Lord Street, Brierfield; Asif Khan, 24, of Francis Street, Burnley; Abdul Rahim Kayani, 18, of Brougham Street, Burnley; Tariq Saddique, 28, of Azalea Road, Blackburn, and a 17-year-old who cannot be named for legal reasons, all deny causing violent disorder on June 24, 2001.

(Proceeding)