A 22-year-old man has been fined £200 after raising his middle finger to police and swearing at them.

Tyler Jack Snape admitted being drunk and disorderly and was also ordered by magistrates to pay £50 prosecution costs.

A second charge of common assault on a female was dismissed after the complainant retracted her statement.

Prosecuting advocate Roger Kane told the court that police were driving on Loch Promenade in Douglas on August 14 at 8.10pm.

They had their window down and as they passed Snape, he raised his middle finger and told them where to go using the ’F’ word.

A group of women and children were in a play park nearby and heard the language.

Police followed Snape, who lives in Willaston Crescent, Douglas, and when they spoke to him he was described as smelling of alcohol and clearly intoxicated.

The court heard that he had just finished a year long alcohol ban at the time of the offence.

Defence advocate Kate Alexander asked for credit to be given for her client’s guilty plea and said: ’This seems to be a rather foolish and unnecessary offence. Mr Snape does have a number of previous convictions but none for being drunk and disorderly.’

Magistrates ordered Snape to pay the fine and costs at a rate of £10 per week deducted from benefits.