Staff at a Market Street shop in Falmouth called the police when a drunken man was causing trouble outside and refusing to go away.

When officers arrived they found Michael Richards, 38, of no fixed address, frantically flailing around and using vile and abusive language, saying he wanted to be left alone. When the officers said they were taking away an open bottle of cider he had with him in a no-alcohol area he was even more upset, and was arrested.

At Truro Magistrates’ Court Richards pleaded guilty to being drunk and disorderly on January 24 and to breaching bail by being in Market Street, an area from which he was banned.

Alison May, for the CPS, said Williams was known to the police as a persistent nuisance in the town and had a number of previous drink-related convictions.

Richards was said by his solicitor Jeremy Leaning to be living off his wits. He was given a conditional discharge for a year.