TWO television technicians appeared in court yesterday after a drunken row.

Daniel Foster, 22, and Paul Mann, 27, had been installing ITV digital at the Tapas Bar in Darlington when the incident happened on March 19.

Darlington magistrates were told that the two men, who worked for Currys, had been drinking and began messing about.

A member of staff at the Tapas bar became concerned about their behaviour and called the nearby Route 66 club to ask for help in asking them leave. Toby Thomas, prosecuting, said the duty manager from the Route 66 club went to the Tapas Bar and asked the men to leave.

Foster, of Fern Cottage, Whorlton, near Barnard Castle, and Mann, of Chandos Street, Darlington, began to speak aggressively to the manager but eventually left the premises.

The manager then called the town's closed-circuit security television headquarters in the town hall and asked staff to monitor the two men. He then called after the men and they walked towards him, saying they would assault him.

Mr Thomas said because the men were drunk, the manager was able to detain one of them until police arrived.

Peter Boddy, defending, said there was no reason for the man from Route 66 to shout after the defendants once they had left. He said Mann had suffered an epileptic fit after the incident.

Both men admitted disorder and were given a conditional discharge for 12 months and ordered to pay £55 each costs.