Police were forced to use pepper spray to bring a struggling man under control as they tried to arrest him.

They were called to Lee Conroy’s home in Buttercup Drive, Cleckheaton , following reports of a domestic disturbance there.

The 38-year-old was put into the police van but started waving his arms around and refusing to allow the officers to handcuff him.

Prosecutor Alex Bozman told Kirklees magistrates : “They gave him a number of verbal warnings and tried to handcuff him but had to deploy their PAVA spray.

“He then got out of the vehicle and tried to push past the officers. There was a struggle and he was taken to the ground.

“There he carried on struggling and shouting threats towards the officers.”

Conroy pleaded guilty to resisting a police constable in the execution of his duty on January 20.

Magistrates heard that Conroy was drunk at the time and upset at getting arrested.

His solicitor Nicholas Leadbeater said: “It’s accepted that his behaviour was completely unwarranted and police have got better things to do with their time than having to deal with people behaving in this manner.

“He refused to be handcuffed and ultimately brought misery upon himself as police had to take him to the ground and use their incapacitator spray.”

Magistrates said they needed a probation report before they could sentence him.