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Robin Hood star ’swore at police’

Jonas Armstrong

Robin Hood star Jonas Armstrong has been fined for being drunk and disorderly outside his mother’s home.

Armstrong, 29, tried to punch a taxi driver before spitting at the car and swearing at police officers, Blackpool Magistrates’ Court heard.

The court was told the actor became violent outside the house in St Anne’s, Blackpool, after realising he had no money to pay the taxi driver.

Armstrong admitted the charge and was ordered to pay £100 and court costs.

But he had denied either trying to throw a punch or spitting at the taxi.

The court heard how police were called by a taxi driver to the address on Durham Road at about 0255 BST on 26 April.

‘Pragmatic view’

Pam Smith, prosecuting, said: "On arrival the defendant was being verbally abusive in the street, he was clearly drunk.

"He had spat on the rear passenger door of the taxi and refused to pay his fare.

"The driver explained he had also thrown a punch at him when challenged about his behaviour. Fortunately the punch missed."

Armstrong was then arrested and taken by force to a police cell, she added.

Michael Woosnam, defending, said Armstrong had been drinking at a family Christening and it was only after he got a taxi back to his mother’s house that he realised he had lost his jacket.

When he realised he had no money, an argument broke out with the taxi driver.

Another taxi driver was called and they physically held him down until police arrived, the court heard.

"Mr Armstrong takes a pragmatic view about this," Mr Woosnam added.

"He accepts he was drunk, he accepts there was an argument. He pleaded guilty as charged."

The court was told that the Rada-trained actor was given a conditional discharge in 2001 for a "similar matter".

Armstrong has also appeared in the TV series Teachers and The Street.

This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.

‘Lost’ Morecambe and Wise recordings aired

Eric Morecambe and Ernie Wise

Long-lost recordings of comedy duo Morecambe and Wise have been aired as part of a BBC Radio 4 documentary.

The archive was uncovered by Ernie Wise’s widow, Doreen, in her garage when she was moving house.

She found a box full of old tapes and 78rpm records that the comedian had stashed away years earlier, some of which date back to 1949.

Morecambe’s son, Gary, who is planning a permanent museum in Morecambe, said the discovery was "very exciting".

The comedy legends reached the height of their stardom in the 1970s and 1980s, with their television show commanding huge audiences.

Among the most important finds are a number of long-lost episodes of Eric and Ernie’s first radio show You’re Only Young Once.

The show, on which the duo developed their partnership, was made for the BBC between November 1953 and June 1954.

Other tapes include rare recordings of their Great Yarmouth and Blackpool shows from the mid to late 1960s and original master tapes of songs written for the duo.

Gary Morecambe, Eric’s son, is in the process of planning a museum dedicated to his late father in his home town of Morecambe.

"It really is exciting when anything new comes to light, certainly for me in terms of Morecambe and Wise," he told the BBC.

Eric Morecambe statue in Morecambe

"I remember some of it being in existence on acetate records back in probably the 1960s or early 70s because my father used to have copies.

"I remember him playing some of it and us having a laugh over it, because it was obviously from the early days, the very beginning of their working careers.

"Other than that I don’t think even he [Eric] knew that Ernie had stored away all of this material.

"It does make you think about old attics and things and wonder what even the BBC has stored away and doesn’t even know."

Mr Morecambe hopes the material can eventually find its way into his museum, which he said was progressing.

He added: "All I can say its looking 99 to 100% positive so fingers crossed on a museum and exhibition of Eric Morecambe happening in the near future and at a permanent site hopefully in Morecambe."

Morecambe and Wise: The Garage Tapes was aired at 0900 BST on Tuesday and is available on

This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.