An alcoholic who assaulted her 83-year-old grandmother has been given a community order.

Rebecca Hynes, aged 24, of Marsden Road, Bolton, was staying with her grandmother, Annie Hulme, after a row with her parents in October.

Hynes had been drinking heavily on October 28 and Mrs Hulme was concerned.

She repeatedly asked her granddaughter to stop drinking and go to bed, but Hynes lashed out, grabbing the pensioner's arms and pushing her. Mrs Hulme received bruises to her arms.

Sandra Richardson, prosecuting, said: "Hynes has a problem with alcohol and her grandmother became concerned about the level she was drinking.

"Mrs Hulme asked Hynes to stop drinking and go to bed, before going to bed herself.

"Hynes did not, and carried on drinking downstairs in the early hours of the morning. Mrs Hulme went to ask her to stop again, when Hynes took hold of her arms and pushed her."

Mrs Hulme did not want her daughter to be prosecuted, but Hynes admitted what she had done and was charged.

She pleaded guilty at the first opportunity, which the magistrates gave her credit for.

Chairman of the bench, Dr Jeremy Foster, told Hynes: "We have heard your circumstances and regret to find you in this position and I'm sure you do.

"We could make an example of you, but we are going to adopt a relatively lenient approach."

She was given 50 hours community work to be carried out over the next six months.