A 'BIZARRE' evening ended unhappily for Paul Steven Dewhurst when he was caught in public with an offensive weapon.

Dewhurst, 22, of Duke Street, Oswaldtwistle, pleaded guilty having half a pool cue in a back street on January 10.

Dewhurst was granted a 12-month conditional discharge by Hyndburn magistrates and ordered to pay £54 costs. The court heard Duckworth and another man were seen acting suspiciously in an alleyway off Lancaster Street in the town.

When asked by a policewoman what they were doing, the pair said they were being followed by two men. The officer walked further down the alley and found half a pool cue with one end taped up.

Margaret Duckworth, prosecuting, said: "The defendant said 'that's mine' and he was carrying it for his own protection.

"He said they had been followed by two lads, so he had gone home and got the cue."

Bernard Horne, defending, said: "This was quite a bizarre evening. The defendant had been approached by three men while drinking at a pub.

"When Mr Dewhurst and the group moved to another pub, two of the men, who he described as particularly large, followed them.

"He should have got in touch with the police and stayed at home, but he came back with the cue.

"He had no idea what he was going to do with it."

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