A BILLINGHAM man telephoned police warning them that he was armed and "going to do something serious".

Jordan Francis was looking for people who had attacked him during a night out last month.

The 20-year-old had drunk 12 pints of beer and 12 shots of vodka before arming himself with a ten-inch kitchen knife and pistol-style cigarette lighter.

An armed response unit from Cleveland Police disarmed Francis after threatening to use a Taser stun gun on him, which can temporarily disable a suspect by delivering a 50,000-volt shock, Teesside Magistrates' Court heard.

Lilian Atkinson, prosecuting, said: "He had been given a couple of slaps by a couple of lads earlier in the night and had gone looking for them.

"In interview he said he was the one who called the police saying 'I'm going to do something serious'."

Francis, of Kenilworth Flats, Billingham, pleaded guilty to a charge of carrying an offensive weapon and of possessing an imitation firearm in public.

"This is a peculiar event, as it seems like it was my client who telephoned the police," said Liz McGowan, mitigating.

"He did have a knife on him and in his pocket he did have a pistol-type lighter and admitted so in police interview."

She said her client needed help to address his behaviour when under the influence of alcohol.

Francis was given a community sentence of 150 hours' unpaid work, a 12-month supervision order, and a programme to address his alcohol consumption. He was also ordered to pay £60 towards court costs.