A MAN who savagely bit off part of a police officer's ear when he was out of control on drink and drugs has been labelled a public danger and locked up for four years and eight months.

A piece of PC Adam Stell's flesh was left sticking to Peter Chandler's face and he later complained that he had gristle in his mouth, Bradford Crown Court heard.

Chandler, 37, had taken cocaine and a cocktail of alcohol when he seized PC Stell in a bear hug and ripped at him with his teeth, tearing the skin behind his left ear and taking out a piece of the lobe.

PC Stell had rushed to help PC Elizabeth Manning after Chandler punched her in the head, grabbed her hair and dragged her head downwards, prosecutor Duncan Ritchie said yesterday.

The officers had gone to an address in Daisy Hill Lane, Bradford, in the early hours of May 16 after Chandler and his partner, Natasha Webster, fell out when when she told him to turn down loud music.

Chandler, who had a history of mental illness, smashed the TV monitor and threw a juke box.

When Miss Webster ushered him out, he called the police saying he was going to cut off her head if they were not there in five minutes.

The two officers arrived just after he had smashed his way back into the house through the locked back door.

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Chandler then refused to be handcuffed in the kitchen.

Mr Ritchie said the officers were calm and polite and did nothing to provoke him.

PC Stell was bitten after punching Chandler in the ribs to get him off him.

PC Manning activated her Taser but it did not have any effect, provoking "sarcastic laughter" from Chandler, the court heard.

When PC Stell felt intense pain and shouted that he was being bitten, PC Manning was forced to drive the Taser against Chandler's leg and activate it. He dropped to the floor and was handcuffed.

Chandler pleaded guilty to unlawfully and maliciously causing grievous bodily harm to PC Stell with intent, assaulting PC Manning, criminal damage to Miss Webster's back door and racially aggravated harassment to PC Abubakar Saddique at Trafalgar House Police Station in Bradford.

PC Saddique saw Chandler wiping blood from his mouth in his cell and he shouted: "That's not my blood, it's one of your officer's, from when I had his ear in my mouth." He then threatened to poke his eyes out.

Chandler's previous convictions included stabbing a police officer in the knee in 1997, kicking a man in the head in 2003 and threatening his neighbours with a knife in 2007.

In mitigation his lawyer, Tom Rushbrooke, said he panicked when he was about to be arrested.

"He is deeply ashamed of what he did," he said.

Chandler had suffered with schizophrenia and paranoia after an "unfortunate and unpleasant childhood."

He had kept out of trouble since 2008 and was planning to set up a carpentry business.

Judge Mark Savill sentenced Chandler to 56 months imprisonment with a 30 month extended licence period.

He said he presented a significant risk of causing serious harm to the public.

"In the cold light of day you are extremely sorry for what you have done," the judge said.

But both officers had suffered a terrifying experience that had affected their ability to carry out their duties.

PC Snell's bitten off flesh could not be reattached.

"It is a very nasty injury that has left him with permanent disfigurement," Judge Savill said.

PC Manning was also left thinking "what if" at nearly every incident she attended, the judge noted.