Lee Fannan, who was seen carrying a knife in each hand in a "militaristic" way, was locked up for four months by Hartlepool magistrates.

Police followed Fannan, 20, who had been drinking all day, after he was seen with the knives in Waldon Street, Hartlepool, at around 11pm on Saturday, July 19.

He walked along the street and in to Park Road before dumping the blades at a building site.

Fannan, pleaded guilty to possessing a blade in a public place.

He was jailed after JPs heard he was convicted of a similar knife crime less than three months ago.

Helen Cox, prosecuting, said: "Officers were dispatched to the area where Mr Fannan was arrested after a report from a member of the public that someone was walking down the street carrying two large knives.

"The drove to the rear of Waldon Street, and saw a male matching his description.

"He was holding a kitchen knife in each hand in front of him, with the blades pointing upwards."

In April, Fannan threatened his stepfather with a knife after an all-day drinking session in Ye Olde Durham's Club, in Hartlepool's Stockton Road.

Magistrates then gave him a 12-month supervision order, 240 hours of unpaid work and he was made to pay £150 to the owner of a car damaged in the incident.

Barry Gray, mitigating for Fannan, of Marine Drive, Hartlepool, said he had found the knives under a bench after drinking at the Cameron's Social Club in Stranton.

He was walking to meet friends in the town centre to carry on drinking, the court was told.

Mr Gray said: "He was play acting as he walked along in a militaristic manner. No members of the public were in Waldon Street at the time.

Magistrate Neil Page told Fannan: "Because this offence was committed so soon after a similar offence, we are sentencing you to six months custody reduced to 120 days for your early guilty plea."