A DRUNKEN judge called police officers ''arseholes'' and said their behaviour would ''cost them £5,000'' as they marched him out of a late night kebab shop, a court heard yesterday.

Deputy District Judge David Messenger, 49, was arrested at a takeaway in Scarborough, North Yorkshire, on May 2 and spent the night banging on his cell door, refusing to co-operate with officers and eventually damaging a cell bell button, magistrates in Selby were told.

The court heard that Mr Messenger was arrested at the Best Kebab shop in St Thomas's Street after intervening in an incident police were trying to sort out in the kitchen.

The magistrates were told that as the officers were taking him from the building he shouted to passers-by: ''Tell them I'm a solicitor and a County Court Judge''.

Richard Newbury, prosecuting, told the bench: ''He then said 'I'm not getting put in there by you two arseholes'.''

Mr Newbury said the officers decided to arrest Messenger as he was exacerbating the situation and had refused to leave on several occasions.

He added that the officers were called to the original incident in the kitchen which had a background in a legal dispute between the shop owner and three other men.

Mr Newbury said the officers were calming the situation down when Messenger appeared saying he was one of the men's solicitor.

He told the court that Constable Patrick Miller s doing realised that Mr Messenger he was heavily intoxicated.

Mr Newbury said the solicitor stared with a fixed gaze and at one point ''squared up'' to PC Miller.

He said: ''The officers asked the man if he had any proof that he was a solicitor.

''Mr Messenger retorted 'what proof have you got that you are police officers' which rather went to confirm their assessment of him as both officers were in full police uniform and had a fully marked police car outside the door.''

When he arrived at the police station he was abusive towards fellow detainees and then began banging on his cell door, added Mr Newbury.

Messenger, of Valley Bridge Parade, Scarborough denies being drunk and disorderly.

He also denies two charges of wilfully obstructing police officers and another of causing £188 of damage to a cell button. The trial continues.