A POLICE officer trying to arrest a man in his Egremont home was bitten by his dog moments after he told it: "Go and get them," a jury heard.

Tony Wardle, 51, has gone on trial at Carlisle Crown Court, where he has pleaded not guilty to two allegations: one of police assault and a charge of being the owner of a dog that caused injury while it was dangerously out of control.

Opening the case, prosecutor Alaric Walmsley said that the incident which led to the charges happened on Monday, August 18 outside and in the defendant's home in Lamb Court, Egremont.

The officers were visiting Wardle to speak to him about an alleged affray outside the town's Co-op store the previous day.

"We say that the defendant was truculent, belligerent, confrontational and aggressive," said Mr Walmsley.

When the officer told Wardle that they were there to arrest him, his response was to tell the officers: "Jog on," said the prosecutor.

The barrister said the officers had the legal right to enter the defendant's property when they had reasonable grounds - but he disagreed.

"There's no doubt that the police acted lawfully; the issue is whether the defendant was entitled to believe that they police were acting unlawfully and therefore were trespassers," continued Mr Walmsley.

As the officers went into his home, say the prosecution, Wardle made a sweeping movement with his arm towards the police officers and said to his dog Digger: "Go and get them." It was after this that the dog bit a woman police sergeant in the leg, though without puncturing her skin.

During the trial today, the jury were shown body-cam video footage of the incident, in which Wardle could be heard telling the officers: "I'm not going to be arrested at all. Jog on. You can jog on back to training school as well. If you touch me, it's assault."

The recording also includes observations from some of the police officers, who said there was a smell of cannabis coming from the defendant's house.

The trial continues.