A TELEPHONE call alleging that a 24-year-old Blackburn man was having an illicit affair set off a chain reaction which led to him being locked up on suspicion of kidnap, a court was told.

Blackburn magistrates heard that Christopher William Hull was a man of previous good character and the incident had been a "nightmare" for him.

Hull, of Ansdale Terrace, pleaded guilty to possession of an offensive weapon, a hammer, and possession of cannabis. He was ordered to do 100 hours' community punishment.

Charlotte Crane, prosecuting, said the incident started when Kerry Donnelly, Hull's girlfriend, received a phone call from a woman claiming she was having a relationship with him.

"She was upset and didn't know who to believe," said Miss Crane. "When she challenged her boyfriend there was an exchange of words."

She said Miss Donnelly went to a friend's house and the friend's dad had made a statement telling how Hull burst into the house and grabbed Miss Donnelly by the hair and dragged her outside.

He claimed Hull had forced her into a waiting taxi. At some stage he had produced a hammer and, challenged the man to "come and have a go."

Basharat Ditta, defending, said Hull had spent two days in custody at the start of the police investigation into what they believed had been a kidnap.