A FIGHT between two women at a wedding left a policeman with a broken leg, a court was told yesterday.

Teesside Crown Court heard 100 guests were watching the two women fighting outside The Falcon in Harrowgate Lane, Stockton when three officers arrived.

Mark Westwood, 38, whose girlfriend was one of the brawlers, pushed over PC Andrew Burdon breaking his leg as they fell to the ground.

Sarah Margree, prosecuting, said Westwood was subdued with CS gas and batons.

He told police that he intervened when police arrested his girlfriend and he had gone to the hospital to attempt to apologise to the officer.

Miss Margree said that PC Burdon had to postpone his sergeant's exams because of his injury, had 11 physiotherapy sessions and was worried about his ability to perform in a future combat situation.

Security officer Westwood of Whitburn Road, Stockton, was ordered to pay £1,000 compensation to PC Burdon who was off duty for 16 weeks, £300 costs and to do 150 hours community punishment after he pleaded guilty to grievous bodily harm and threatening behaviour on April 26.

The judge Recorder David Myerson QC said that the incident could have blown up into a full-scale riot.