TERRIFIED youngsters playing football ran away screaming as an angry pensioner ran out of his house holding a machete, a court heard.

A boy and a girl, both aged 10, were playing at the side of the man’s home in Farnworth when the incident happened.

They had set up makeshift goals using broom handles, but 70-year-old retired construction worker Anthony Jolley, who had been drinking, took exception and came out of his garden gate, shouting and swearing.

The boy’s father, Nicolas Barnes, who was with the youngsters, offered to go and play elsewhere, but Jolley kept on shouting.

He then went back into his garden and returned holding the machete, Bolton Crown Court was told.

Neil Nehra, prosecuting, said: “The two young children, seeing this, ran off screaming.”

Jolley kicked over Mr Barnes’ mug and, when he tried to walk away, the pensioner picked up one of the goalpost broomsticks and hurled it at him, hitting him on his shoulder.

Mr Nehra said Jolley was 10 yards away from Mr Barnes when he raised the machete and told him: “I’ll cut you.”

In a statement read out in court Mr Barnes said: “I thought he was going to take a swing at me with the machete if he had got closer to me.”

The incident, in Martin Avenue, happened at about 7.30pm on June 23.

After being arrested by police, Jolley told officers he was fed up with people playing football outside his home and kicking balls against his wall.

He added that only two days previously he had argued with another neighbour about the issue.

Tom McKail, defending, said Jolley had struggled to adjust to life after retiring four years ago and had issues with drink.

He said the pensioner kept the machete to clear undergrowth from riverbanks when he went fishing and on the evening of the assault, he had taken it into the garden to hack down weeds.

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Mr McKail said Jolley had ongoing problems with children playing outside his house but had acted in an irrational manner on this occasion.

“It was brief, but nevertheless, terrifying for the children,” said Mr McKail, who added that the pensioner was deeply embarrassed.

“He understands his behaviour was totally unacceptable.”

Jolley pleaded guilty to assault and possessing an offensive weapon.

Sentencing him to six months in prison, suspended for 12 months, Recorder Eric Lamb told the pensioner that his claim about problems with people playing football outside his house was a “deeply unimpressive excuse”.

He said: “The situation for everybody in our civil society is that we should make allowances.

“For you to lose control simply on the basis that something was kicking against your house, and that an adult and children were playing football, is simply not acceptable.”

Recorder Lamb also ordered Jolley to have sessions with the Bolton Integrated Drug and Alcohol Service and to pay an £80 victim surcharge.

Jolley refused to comment after the hearing.