Officers found George Sweet at the door of a house with the cooking utensil in one hand and a hammer in the other after being called to a disturbance on March 14.

Nobody was hurt in the row, but the court heard the 45-year-old waved the rolling pin around and shouted "come on then" before dropping it when officers threatened to use CS gas.

Sweet, who had downed 15 pints beforehand, admitted affray.

John Wilkinson, defending, said Sweet has little or no recollection of the stand-off because of how much he had to drink.

Mr Wilkinson said; "It seems misuse of alcohol is the route of his problems."

Mr Recorder Phillips sentenced Sweet, of Sidney Street, Boldon Colliery, to a community order for 18 months with programme requirements.

The judge said: "The officers had clearly demonstrated a measured, highly-experienced response to the difficult situation which confronted them.

"It is perhaps as a result of that measured response that the incident did not escalate into something more serious."