POLICE called to a midnight road smash spotted a scratched and bruised man nearby staggering about, a court heard.

Burnley Magistrates were told how Rishton building firm foreman David Whittaker, 36, was evasive and abusive, tried to walk away from officers and claimed he did not know what they were talking about.

He became aggressive and violent, got hold of one officer and ended up handcuffed and arrested. Whittaker then refused to give a breath test.

Whittaker, of Morse Street, Burnley, admitted failing to provide a specimen of breath, failing to stop, failing to report an accident, not having a licence, having no insurance and obstructing a police officer.

He was given an interim ban and bailed until November 20 for a pre-sentence report.

Joanne Shahzada, prosecuting, said police went to Marsden Road, Burnley, and found a car had hit a lamp-post, also causing damage to a cable box. The driver had made off.

A computer check revealed the keeper of the car which had building tools in it. Officers then saw a mud and paint-spattered man, looking like a builder, who appeared drunk, staggering about and talking on his mobile phone.

He was bruised and scratched but refused to say how he got like that and walked on.

Officers suspected Whittaker was the car driver and he was arrested but struggled. He refused to be handcuffed, got hold of an officer and became aggressive and violent.

The owner of the car told police her friend had been using it and had rung her about the accident. Whittaker said he could remember nothing but he had quite an amount to drink.

David Lawson, defending, said Whittaker claimed he had been under extreme pressure to do a "foreigner" for a friend, took his partner's car and afterwards went to the pub.

Immediately after the incident he went to see his doctor, who had sent him to the Alcohol Advisory Service. Whittaker felt it was time he stopped drinking.