POLICE officers sent to Penrith town centre to deal with a person who was allegedly trying to start at fight were confronted by an argumentative and drunk woman holding her small child.

When officers arrived they found the woman, clearly intoxicated and shouting and swearing.

She continued to be aggressive despite the attempts the police officers to calm her down, Carlisle’s Rickergate court heard.

Prosecutor George Shelley told a district judge that the woman, who can not be named for legal reasons, went on to repeatedly attack one of the police officers.

In court, the woman, who is in her 30s and from Carlisle, pleaded guilty to assaulting a woman police officer on a day in March and to a second offence of being drunk in charge of a child.

Prosecutor George Shelley said police were alerted to the woman’s bad behaviour by a call from a concerned member of the public.

Slurring her speech, she was constantly swearing and shouting.

“The child was in her arms and appeared upset,” said Mr Shelley.

Concerned for the child, one of the police officers attempted to take the youngster from his mother's arms, but the woman responded by trying to headbutt the police constable who did that.

Later, as officers were walking the woman to the rear  of a police vehicle, she attempted to kick the same officer as she continued to be verbally abusive, the court heard.

She insulted the officer and threatened to kick her in the face.

The woman then made yet another attempt to kick the same officer.

Mark Shepherd, defending, said the woman now felt ashamed and remorseful about the way she behaved on that day.

She was apologetic about her actions but she was now working with professionals to address the issues that triggered her drinking.

District Judge John Temperley imposed a 12-month community order, with 25 rehabilitation activity days.

The woman must also complete 140 hours of unpaid work in the community as punishment.

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