POLICE called to a report of a man sniffing butane found him semi-naked in a Darwen street, a court was told.

Blackburn magistrates heard that bare-chested Joseph Doherty had a knife down the heel of each trainer and when challenged said "smack heads" were after him and that was why he carried the "blades".

Doherty, 21, of Ivinson Road, Darwen, pleaded guilty to possession of an offensive weapon and breach of a community punishment order imposed at the Crown Court for an offence of assault causing actual bodily harm. He was given an extra 20 hours unpaid work and made subject to a four month curfew between 8pm and 5am.

Rachel Adamson, defending, said Doherty's problems had got on top of him in recent months.

She said Doherty had struggled to cope with the emotional fall-out when he split with his long-term partner and had turned to drink and solvent abuse.

"He lost his job and then his accommodation when his parents told him he was no longer welcome," said Miss Adamson.

"He has now managed to address the issues. He has made up with his parents, is in a new relationship and in the last week he has started work again.

"All the things that were going wrong he has now got back on track."