A father jumped out of bed and rushed outside brandishing a walking stick to help his son who was being attacked in the street.

But Andrew Whiles, 44, ended up arrested and sent to jail.

He had refused to put down the stick when police arrived at the scene and held it high above his head causing a sergeant to fear he was about to be attacked.

Two officers used Captor spray on him before he dropped the stick.

At Lewes Crown Court Whiles, of South Street, Seaford, admitted causing an affray.

He has 25 previous convictions, including convictions for offensive weapons.

Amy Packham, prosecuting, told the court police were in South Street on the night of June 6 at the scene of a road crash when they heard the sound of a fight going on.

They walked round the corner and saw Whiles standing in the street shouting and swearing and waving the stick around.

She said: "The officers shouted at him to drop it. As the sergeant approached the defendant turned round to face the officer and raised the stick higher. The officer believe he was going to be struck."

She said when he was detained on the ground he shouted out to another man offering to have a fight.

Brian Shaw, defending, said Whiles had been trying to defend his son against three other people who were attacking him.

He said that night Whiles was asleep in bed when he was woken by a noise and when he looked outside he saw his son, Mitchell, was being attacked.

He said: "He went downstairs, grabbing a walking staff he had made himself. He took it to use as a weapon to defend his son against the others.

"He accepts he went over the top by making threats when the incident was over."

Mr Shaw said Whiles and his wife intended to leave Seaford as she hoped to get a job in Guernsey.

Whiles also admitted breaching a conditional discharge imposed in September last year for disorderly behaviour and causing criminal damage at a pub in Seaford.

He was jailed for a total of nine months.