A shoplifter pulled a knife on a store detective and made slashing motions towards his face and neck, a court was told yesterday.

David Griffiths, 27, was stopped on Christmas Eve after he walked from T J Hughes' Middlesbrough store carrying a television set in a box. When he was asked to return to the store he put the box on the ground and pulled a knife from his pocket, said Peter Sabiston, prosecuting.

Griffiths began to make slashing motions with it, saying: "I am going to put this in you," said Mr Sabiston.

The detective tried to grab his arm, but Griffiths pushed him back against a wall, continuing to make slashing motions towards his face.

Mr Sabiston said: "It was a frightening incident. While the detective was struggling with him, the knife was getting closer to his neck. The detective pushed him off, but the defendant took a final swing towards his face and ran off."

Griffiths was identified from security camera footage. He had convictions for assault and for resisting police.

Paul Cleasby, for Griffiths, said he was spectacularly unsuccessful as a shoplifter. He was desperate to raise money to feed his heroin habit and produced the knife in an attempt to get away, not to injure the detective.

He was clear of heroin after months in custody on remand.

Judge Leslie Spittle told Griffiths: "There was a very great risk that he would have been caught by you with the knife in one way or another. The only way to protect people going about their lawful job from people like you is by a prison sentence."

Griffiths, of Queen Street, South Bank, who pleaded guilty to theft and affray, was jailed for 18 months.