A man who hit a police officer over the head with a piece of wood in a 'vicious assault' in Norwich has been jailed.

Plain clothes police officers were called to an area of Drayton Road where Glen Barnes. 50, was approached by one of the officers who told the defendant he was a police officer and could they have a word.

Norwich Crown Court heard one of the officers got his warrant card out of his pocket but Barnes became extremely 'aggressive' towards the officers.

Jonathan Morgans, prosecuting, said Barnes pulled out from behind his back a piece of wood which Barnes, who had a 'face of pure rage' used to hit one of the officers in a 'ferocious' manner, breaking the piece of wood.

Mr Morgans said police twice used pava spray to try and bring the defendant under control.

Barnes, of Heath Road, Lowestoft, appeared yesterday to be sentenced having previously admitted possession of an offensive weapon and assault occasioning actual bodily harm on September 6 this year.

Isobel Ascherson, mitigating, said at the time of the incident his personal life was 'collapsing around his ears' and he had been violently attacked twice in the previous two weeks.

Sentencing Barnes to 12 months in prison Judge Katharine Moore described it as a 'vicious assault' on a 'police officer doing his public duty' and insisted 'only immediate custody is justified'.