A DRUNKEN woman spat at and threw punches at paramedics who had come to her assistance.

Blackburn magistrates heard Bridget Darling appeared to be in a drunken stupor when the female ambulance crew arrived at an address in Foxstones Crescent, Blackburn.

But when they picked her up and put her in a chair she became fully alert and started spitting and lashing out, the court was told.

The paramedics said they were not paid to put up with that kind of behaviour but as they left were chased by other people who had been in the house saying; "What kind of service is this?".

Darling, 30, of Foxstones Crescent, pleaded guilty to assaulting Rosita Buller.

She was sentenced to four months in prison suspended for 12 months, ordered to do 100 hours unpaid work, made subject to a 12 week curfew, ordered to pay £50 compensation to each of the paramedics who attended her and £50 costs.

Andrew Church-Taylor, defending, said his client's recollection of the evening was clouded by drink which she was not used to.

He said Darling had been diagnosed with epilepsy at four and managed to control it without medication.

Mr Church-Taylor said the people present had thought Darling was having an epileptic fit.