A man who was barred from a Bradford store lunged towards the shopkeeper when he refused to serve him, a court heard yesterday.

Matthew Simmonds, 31, queued up to buy a can of strong lager at the Cottage Stores in Sandbeds, Queensbury, Bradford magistrates were told.

Prosecutor Mark Steeples said shopkeeper Jetinder Bains took the lager from him and told him to go away, but Simmonds lunged towards him with his head, before walking out of the shop.

Mr Bains followed but Simmonds threatened to “bite his face off” and lunged towards him again, before leaving the area.

The shopkeeper was in fear for himself, his staff and members of the public, he said.

Kam Dhesi, mitigating, said Simmonds did not think he had been barred. The lunge was not a head butt, but done with a view to frighten.

Simmonds, of High Street, Wibsey, who pleaded guilty to using threatening behaviour, was fined £70, with £85 prosecution costs, and ordered to pay £80 compensation to Mr Bains.

Chairman of the bench, Alan Wrigley, told him: “This was an extremely stupid thing to do. We can’t have people walking in shops, in any circumstances, and making threats towards shopkeepers carrying out their lawful business.”