A GROUP of young Asian men playing football ran for their lives after being chased by a man brandishing a large kitchen knife, a court was told.

Magistrates heard that Steven Michael Gant used the knife in a downward stabbing motion as he ran after the men.

And he later told police: "I admit I chased them and I would have stabbed them to death if I had caught them."

Gant, 34, of St Mary's Gardens, Mellor, pleaded guilty to affray.

He was committed on bail to Preston Crown Court for sentence.

Catherine Allan, prosecuting, said the Asian men were playing football on a grassed area behind Aberdeen Drive.

Suddenly one of them shouted "He's got a knife" and the others saw Gant running towards them brandishing the blade.

"They all ran off in different directions and basically out-ran him," said Miss Allan.

"One of the men told police he honestly believed Gant would have stabbed him if he had caught him.

"They had no idea why he ran after them and it clearly must have been a terrifying incident."

Jonathan Taylor, defending, told the Blackburn court that his client had a history of paranoia and psychosis and in the months before the incident on July 14 he had been subjected to abuse by various groups living in the area.

"He had been referred to as a homosexual and a paedophile and things were getting worse and worse," said Mr Taylor.

"He was experiencing this kind of abuse every time he left the house."

Mr Taylor said on the day of the incident Gant was suffering an episode of psychosis and the taunts were constantly going round in his head.