A pregnant woman clawed at the face of a female police officer as she tried to arrest her over an argument in the street.

PC Rebecca Haslam was left with blurred vision and scratches to her face following the attack by Danielle Lennon.

Heavily-pregnant Lennon, of Thorncliffe Street in Lindley, admitted assaulting a constable in the execution of her duty when she appeared at Kirklees Magistrates’ Court.

The incident happened at Cowcliffe Hill Road in Fixby on June 17 following reports of a disturbance there.

Vanessa Schofield, prosecuting, said that the officers spoke with Lennon and a group of males to find out what had happened. Ms Schofield said that it was the third time that police had gone to the location because of trouble that day.

PC Haslam informed Lennon, 27, that she was being arrested for breaching the peace.

Ms Schofield said: “She said: ‘Get the f*** off me’.

“The officer noticed that she was pregnant and asked her to go to the police van but she refused.”

Lennon, who is pregnant with twins, was smoking a cigarette. She was asked by the officers to put this out and to hand over her handbag, which had a large strap and could have caused injury.

Lennon also refused to do this and would not cooperate when the officers then tried to handcuff her.

Ms Schofield said that she threw her hands in the air and obstructed the police. “The PC says she (Lennon) tried to bite her hand but she moved her hand away.

“Miss Lennon put her hand over the officer’s face, grabbed the officer’s face and scratched her.”

The prosecutor said that Lennon scratched at PC Haslam’s eye, cheek and nose, causing the officer to feel pain.

Ms Schofield said: “One scratch to her face drew blood and her eye was painful and bloodshot. Her eyesight was slightly blurred because of that and she said she felt pain for an hour afterwards.”

Jonathan Slawinski, mitigating, said that earlier that day police had attended at the home of Lennon, who also has two children aged seven and three. This had involved problems with her partner, who is the father of her children.

Mr Slawinski said Lennon couldn’t understand why she was being arrested as she hadn’t said anything.

“She doesn’t think she has done anything wrong and has lashed out with her arms, catching the officer in the face.

“This was not a sustained assault and she was deeply upset about it in the interview.”

Magistrates ordered Lennon to pay £100 compensation to the officer as well as pay £65 fine, £85 costs and £20 victim surcharge.