A RACIST man hurled abuse, stones and a knife at a group of men standing outside a neighbouring pub.

Bolton Crown Court heard how Paul Bleakley and his partner have lived in their St Stephens Close, Darcy Lever, home for 30 years.

The property backs onto the Lever Bridge Inn and on July 17 shop manager Sunil Patel called in there with a group of friends for an evening drink.

Judge Graeme Smith was told how Mr Sunil went outside with two friends for a smoke.

But Bleakley was in his back garden and when he spotted the men he began hurling racist abuse at them, followed by gravel and stones, one of which hit Mr Patel on the shoulder.

"Then he had a knife in his hand which he threw at me. It just missed my side," Mr Patel told the judge, adding that he accepted the knife may have been thrown at the group in general, rather than at him in particular.

The court was told that the drinkers retreated into the pub and shut the door.

But Elizabeth Evans, prosecuting, said Bleakley then appeared carrying bricks which he hurled at the pub, smashing windows.

Police officers later forced their way into Bleakley's home after no one answered the door and they heard a scream coming from inside. Bleakley had slapped his daughter.

But Miss Evans told how Bleakley then ran at police, hurling a British Bulldog ornament, which hit one of the officers on the shoulder, causing a bruise.

And when officers took Bleakley, who has mental health problems, to the accident and emergency department at the Royal Bolton Hospital he shouted more racist abuse to a black woman and Asian man.

Bleakley, aged 48, pleaded guilty to affray, assaulting a police officer, racially aggravated harassment, assaulting his daughter and racially aggravated assault.

However, he claimed he had been in his garden in his pyjamas, putting his chickens away for the night when bottles were thrown at his garage from the pub car park.

He alleged he had not thrown the knife but had returned it after it had been hurled into his garden by one of the pub-goers.

Following a trial of issue Judge Smith ruled that he was not telling the truth.

"The defendant sought, at all times, to minimise what he did," said the judge.

Kimberley Morton, defending, said that Bleakley had had his medication changed a few days before the affray. "He has fragile mental health and was suffering some sort of break down when this incident occurred," she said.

Sentencing Bleakley to 14 months in prison, suspended for two years, Judge Smith said he accepted Bleakley and his family have previously suffered problems from some customers at the pub.

"But that does not justify or excuse what you did that night," he told Bleakley.

He added that if he sent Bleakley to prison immediately he would not get the treatment for his mental health problems that he needed.

In addition to the suspended jail sentence Bleakley was ordered to undertake 30 days of rehabilitation activities and pay Mr Patel £250 compensation.