A DRUNKEN father of four carried out an "outrageous" attack on a paramedic's response car in Bournemouth town centre, a court heard.

The lone paramedic was forced to lock his doors and call for help from the police after the intoxicated man started kicking the side of his marked vehicle and hurling abuse at him.

Keith Gentry, 40, admitted carrying out the terrifying attack on the ambulance car and also assaulting a police officer who came to the paramedic's rescue.

Bournemouth magistrates heard that Andy Ashford, a clinical support officer at Bournemouth ambulance station, had been driving alone down Old Christchurch Road at around 10.30pm on May 11 when he spotted Gentry standing in the road together with another man.

Gentry then launched himself at the ambulance car and started kicking the passenger side and shouting abuse, the court was told.

The shaken paramedic was forced to lock his vehicle doors and call for help from the ambulance control room.

When police officers arrived, they spotted Gentry getting into a taxi nearby and went to arrest him for threatening behaviour.

Magistrates heard that the 40 year old struggled violently as officers tried to restrain him, and he had to be forced to the ground.

During the struggle, one officer suffered injuries to his arm, and Gentry was also charged with assaulting a police officer.

Gentry, who is married with four children and lives in Markyate in Hertfordshire, told the court he had been on a night out drinking in town with work colleagues and could recall little about the incident.

"It's a bit of a blank," he said. "I really don't know what happened that night.

"It's terrible. All I can say is that I'm really sorry."

The defendant, who was not legally represented, added that he believed his drink may have been spiked.

But magistrates told him there was "absolutely no reason why the police or paramedics should be subjected to this type of outrageous behaviour."

Gentry was given credit for a guilty plea, and fined £150 for threatening behaviour and £200 for assaulting the police officer, together with £34 costs.

Andy Ashford told the Daily Echo that paramedics often come under attack from people while they carry out their duties.

"It does happen. People do tend to do stupid things like that and have a go at us for no reason," he said.

"I have lost count of the number of times I have been attacked while on duty in the 20 years or so I have been a paramedic. I have had to go into hospital on several occasions."

Steve Smith, spokesman for Dorset Ambulance NHS Trust, said: "We are pleased that a successful action has been taken in conjunction with the police." He commented: "We have a zero tolerance policy against any violence towards ambulance staff.

Mr Smith added: "We will continue to work with the police and the NHS security service to ensure that any violence towards NHS staff is dealt with."