A DRUNKEN man held down a young boy in a garden paddling pool was today starting a six months jail term.

Ian Smith, 36, repeatedly held the eight-year-old, who suffers from asthma, under the water as the child struggled for breath.

The boy had to be thumped on the back by his horrified parents to get the water from his system. They had yelled at Smith to stop, Burnley Crown Court heard.

Sentencing Smith, who had claimed his actions were a joke gone wrong, Recorder Quentin Querelle said his behaviour had been totally unacceptable. Nobody was ever justified in behaving in such a way, either as a joke or being rough with a child.

He added it was thankful the victim was not drowned - which could have happened had others not intervened.

The judge said the public must know that anyone who caused injury to children would be at risk of custody and told the defendant: "Your temper has taken you over the bounds of that."

Recorder Querelle, who had been told of ill-feeling in the neighbourhood where the child and defendant lived, went on: "That atmosphere must now end between all parties because this is the end of the matter."

Smith, of Bowland Avenue, Burnley, had earlier pleaded guilty to assault, causing actual bodily harm, last July.

William Baker, prosecuting, said the defendant had put a paddling pool in his front garden and children in the area, including the eight-year-old, began to play in it.

The victim had been pushed in the pool by Smith and so he in turn pushed the defendant in and ran away laughing.

Smith grabbed the child by the left arm, picked him up and threw him into the pool. He then held his head under the water, which was 16 inches in depth, as the child kicked his legs to try and free himself.

Paul Hague, defending, said Smith did not accept he held the boy under the water. His behaviour had been reckless on a hot day when he and others had been drinking and there had been something of a carnival atmosphere.

Smith did not deliberately try to drown the child, but accepted he put the child in the pool in a rough way and the anxiety and apprehension of the boy's parents was understandable.