A DRUNKEN teenager threatened to bite a PCSO's nose off before punching him three times in the face.

Lewis Barnes had been drinking to celebrate his 18th birthday when he began puffing out his chest and making threats before launching punches at police community support officer Nathan Stevenson.

The 18-year-old of Henwick Road, St John's, Worcester, admitted assaulting the PCSO when he appeared before magistrates in Worcester on Friday following the incident on April 23, at around 7.25pm.

The assault also placed him in breach of a conditional discharge of six months imposed on February 9 for criminal damage.

Adrian Jones, prosecuting, said the PCSO was in a police car being driven through The Trinity in Worcester when he noticed the defendant coming towards his police vehicle in 'an aggressive manner', 'puffing his chest out' and shouting 'what?'

The PCSOs drove around the block but asked CCTV operators to watch Barnes and monitor his behaviour.

The CCTV operators notified the PCSOs that Barnes was 'becoming aggressive towards an unknown female'.

When the officers returned Barnes entered Coral Bookmakers.

Mr Jones said: "They see Mr Barnes saying 'don't come near me! I don't like police!'"

He continued to shout verbal abuse to the police officers as an off-duty officer moved him away towards the Shambles.

Mr Jones said: "He (Barnes) ran back up the road towards the PCSO shouting 'stop looking at me!' and threatened to bite the officer's nose off.

"He threw a punch which missed. The officer attempted to restrain him and the defendant threw two more punches, connecting with the officer's face, causing pain and swelling on the left cheek. A third punch also connected."

Belinda Ariss, defending, said Barnes had entered an early guilty plea.

Mrs Ariss said: "It's his eighteenth birthday when this offence is committed. He had far too much to drink.

"He recalls there being an incident with a PCSO but can't explain why he behaved in that way.

"He doesn't have a history of going out and getting drunk.This was definitely a one-off for him.

"He was embarrassed about the words he spoke and the way he treated the officer. He has asked me to apologise to the court on his behalf."

Barnes was ordered to go to a senior attendance centre every Tuesday for two hours (twelve sessions in total).

This provides vocational training, education work, drug and alcohol awareness and teaches thinking skills.

He was also ordered to pay £100 compensation to the officer, an £85 victim surcharge and £50 costs.