A WOMAN, drunk and soaking wet after going in the canal at Skipton hit a police officer who was trying to help her, heard magistrates.

Officers went to Keighley Road, Skipton, at just after midday on July 4 following reports of a woman with ‘bright red hair’ who was drunk and in the Leeds and Liverpool Canal close to Hotel Rendezvous.

They found Lottie Stephens, 24, who was wet ‘from head to toe’ and was not wearing any shoes, the Skipton court was told on Friday.

She swore at the officers and was uncooperative when they tried to help, said prosecutor, Martin Butterworth.

A concerned member of the public had called for a taxi to take her back home to Settle, and on her way down some steps to the car park of the hotel in Keighley Road, she lost her balance, said Mr Butterworth.

One of the officers tried to help, but she responded by swinging her arm and hitting the woman officer in the face.

Stephens was handcuffed and taken to Harrogate Police Station where while in the holding area she assaulted a second police officer. Mr Butterworth described the assault as a ‘push’ with her foot and added that the officer reported having a ‘dead leg’ as a result.

Mr Butterworth reminded magistrates of the relatively new guidance on the assault of emergency workers, such as police, which required courts to ‘uplift’ sentencing of those guilty of such offences.

Stephens, of previous good character, of Victoria Street, Settle, admitted the assault by beating of two emergency workers, Pc Daley, in Skipton, and Ps Stringer at Harrogate Police Station.

In mitigation Julian White said Stephens, who has no previous convictions, had been struggling to cope at the time. She had earlier been in a house from where she had been expelled. Since the incident she was receiving family and social services support.

Her case was adjourned for reports at a sentencing hearing, which will include another admitted matter, due to be held at Harrogate Magistrates Court on August 27.