A COMPANY director who beat a police officer during an arrest for suspected drink-driving has been jailed for 16 weeks.

Neil John Fairhurst, 50, was pulled over on September 17, on suspicion of driving with excess alcohol in his system. Fairhurst refused to provide a specimen of blood for lab analysis, Manchester magistrates heard.

And he also assaulted a police officer before his eventual arrest, the court was told.

Fairhurst, of Honeywood Close, Ramsbottom, pleaded guilty to assaulting an emergency worker and failing to provide a specimen.

Magistrates imposed a 12-week jail term for the assault - and a four-week consecutive sentence for the driving offence - because of the defendant's past criminal offending.

He was also disqualified from driving for 30 months and ordered to pay £50 in compensation to the officer.

Fairhurst is listed as the director of Crinkle Media, an IT consultancy firm based in Barnton, near Northwich, Cheshire.