A FACTORY worker punched a police officer after he was arrested for a drunken racist rant when he said all immigrants should be shot, a court heard.

Ian Logan remembers very little about the incident when he assaulted the officer, who tried to arrest him following his racist diatribe, which also championed the English Defence League, Darlington Magistrates' Court heard yesterday.

Alison Nunn, prosecuting, told the court the police officer had arrived in North Road at 11.20pm on a Sunday night, after being called to the area to deal with another matter.

The officer had seen the 48year-old staggering across the street, eating Mrs Nunn said: "He hears the defendant shout out, "EDL, EDL, get the f***ing immigrants out.

"'You lot are f***ing useless, what the f*** are you doing about all these b******s? Control immigration, you should shoot them all."

Logan then shouted more racist obscenities, the court heard.

When the officer, who thought Logan was drunk, tried to arrest him, he pulled the officer's arm and then punched him in the face, the court heard. The officer reached for his pepper spray, which failed to activate, and Logan pulled him by his body armour and made aggressive comments, forcing the officer to "knee" Logan.

Logan continued to be physically and verbally aggressive until he was put into a police cell.

The incident happened on Sunday, February 28.

Leanne Steinberg, mitigating, said Logan had been drinking since 3pm on the day of the incident.

"Mr Logan is absolutely embarrassed and ashamed to come before the court, " she said. "He accepts it is just not acceptable at all."

She said he had consumed alot of alcohol before the incident and did not remember a great deal about it.

She said he had been under a lot of stress, and had experienced periods of unemployment and had been worried about paying his mortgage and bills.

She said the rant had not been directed at anyone, and he had been "simply mouthing off".

Logan, of Thompson Street West, Darlington, pleaded guilty to assaulting a police office and racially aggravated intentional harassment, alarm or distress.

He was fined £190 for each offence and ordered to pay £85 costs and a £15 victim surcharge.