A POLICE officer was subjected to a serious assault when he was called to a Bank Holiday fight in Barnoldswick, a court was told.

Burnley magistrates heard how builder Kevin Mullinder, 24, grabbed PC Roy Curwen in the groin, leaving him in pain and discomfort, after the officer tried to stop a fight outside a pub.

His solicitor told the court Barnoldswick people did not like outsiders in their town - and claimed the defendant was set upon.

Mullinder, who had never been in trouble before, was told to pay £275 in fines and costs. The defendant, of Pinhaw Road, Skipton, admitted using threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour and police assault.

Carl Gaffney, prosecuting, told the court police were called in the early hours to a disturbance involving about 15 people. The Barnoldswick pub had had an extended licence and a lot of people were on the streets.

Between six and eight people were fighting and the defendant was seen to punch another man. The crowd was starting to turn hostile and PC Curwen pushed his emergency button - only the fifth time he had done it in 23 years' service.

Mullinder was told he was under arrest but pulled the officer, put his hand between his legs, grabbed him in the groin and squeezed. The defendant was restrained, handcuffed and taken to the police station. He had no previous convictions.

Steven Banks, defending, said Mullinder had been out with his partner and had too much to drink. He felt an arm being pulled behind his back, was in pain and did not realise it was a police officer. The defendant did not deliberately set out to injure a police officer and had not been looking for trouble. He was a hard-working, law-abiding citizen, had spent 12 hours in custody and faced a sobering and scary experience.