A NORTHWICH man who assaulted a police officer after being arrested for being drunk and disorderly has avoided an immediate spell behind bars.

Stephen Jones, of Manchester Road in Lostock Gralam, pleaded guilty to two charges when he appeared at Chester Magistrates Court on Thursday, June 9.

The 47-year-old was reported to the police for being drunk on Victoria Road on June 8, and when officers arrived at the scene, he was arrested for being disorderly.

Jones was taken into custody in Middlewich, but while there assaulted a police officer by beating him.

His guilty pleas were taken into account by the magistrates, but they considered his offending to be serious enough it crossed the custody threshold.

They told Jones his assault on the PC was unprovoked and how he had simply been carrying out his duties as a police officer.

However, because Jones is considered to have a good prosect of being successfully rehabilitated, the eight-week prison sentence was suspended for a period of 12 months.

He will have to complete 35 days of rehabilitation with the probation service during that time.

Jones was told to pay £50 compensation to the officer but there was no separate penalty for being drunk and disorderly. He must also pay prosecution costs of £85.