A MIDDLE-AGED woman, who had never been in trouble in her life, was arrested after a drunken fracas with police on New Year's Day.

Valerie Fairhurst, 55, of Wordsworth Avenue, Padiham, admitted breach of the peace and was bound over in the sum of £200 for 12 months by Blackpool magistrates today.

Presiding magistrate Mr Simon Bridge told Fairhurst: "You were very lucky to be accused of breach of the peace because it sounds as though you assaulted the police officers."

Prosecutor Jane Nelligan said at 7.57am on January 1 police received an emergency 999 call to go to an address in the resort's Branstree Road. When a police sergeant and constable arrived they found the defendant and another woman in the lounge both extremely drunk.

Both denied making the 999 call but checks revealed the call had been made from their address. On hearing there was a baby upstairs police went to check the child. The baby was fine, but when the two officers tried to go back downstairs the defendant prevented them from doing so.

The prosecutor said: "She made strange accusations claiming the police had stolen their own police vehicle. She then shoved the sergeant and struck the other officer on the shoulder.

"She shouted 'you'll never get me down the stairs, I'm going nowhere,' and had to be handcuffed."

Michael Ball, defending, said his client had no previous convictions. The defence added: "It was the morning after New Year's Eve and a considerable amount of drink had been taken.

"My client was not sure why the police had come to the house. A number of her family are in the services, such as the prison service, and she has been taught to question officials' identities.

"When she questioned the authenticity of the officers, matters went downhill. She accepts her behaviour was not all it should have been."