Defendant answered his mobile phone in dock

A man roused the anger of a judge when he had the cheek to answer his mobile phone while he was in the dock.

Gasps of shock went round courtroom number two at Blackpool Magistrates' Court when Paul Fitton calmly answered his mobile's ringtone with the words: "Hello there, I'm in court", and started a conversation.

Fitton, 26, of Haig Road, South Shore, was in the dock facing a charge of being drunk and disorderly. He had been identified by the court clerk and his case was about to start when the call came through.

District Judge Peter Ward told Fitton: "I am prepared to ignore mobile phone if people turn them off immediately. People who answer their phones in court will go to the cells."

Fitton shouted obscenities as he was taken to the cells for contempt by a security officer.

He spent two hours in custody before being brought back before the judge and aplogising.