A taxi passenger wrecked a windscreen – and said his “dancing arms” were to blame.

Shaun Inness, of Abbey Road in Batley, gave the bizarre excuse when he was arrested for damaging the vehicle late on July 1.

Prosecutor Natalie Chapman told Kirklees magistrates that at 10pm the 31-year-old had ordered a taxi from his father’s address.

The cabbie, from Bankfield Ventures Ltd, showed up and he got into the front passenger seat.

There he punched the front windscreen, causing the glass to crack.

Kirklees Magistrates Court

Inness offered to pay the driver £20 but he refused as it cost considerably more to replace the glass, the Huddersfield court was told.

Police were called and Inness left but he was arrested an hour later – after ordering another taxi back to his dad’s house and banging on the door.

Miss Chapman said: “The defendant said he was dancing around in the front passenger seat.

“He said that while dancing with his arms he recklessly pushed onto the front windscreen causing it to break.”

Magistrates were told that it cost £145 to replace the damaged windscreen.

Paul Blanchard, mitigating, explained that it was unlikely that is client would have been unable to stump up so much money as he was claiming Employment and Support Allowance and Personal Independence Payment.

He said police caught up with him when he went back to his dad’s house and described the incident as ‘a blip.’

Magistrates ordered Inness to pay £145 compensation to the taxi firm but made no order for court costs.