A former teacher bombarded the emergency services with nuisance calls and assaulted a paramedic, a court heard.

Two paramedics who were in fear of being assaulted refused to attend Keith Byrne's Church Stretton home.

The 57-year-old, said to be an alcoholic, was jailed last year for making nuisance calls and had started again the day he was released from prison.

His actions were also in breach of a criminal behaviour order not to harass the police or ambulance service.

At Shrewsbury Crown Court this week Byrne, of Sandford Avenue, was jailed for a year after admitting twice breaching the court order and four offences of assault.

Judge Anthony Lowe told him he had to "dig deep" to deal with his alcohol problem and come out of prison and not go back.

The court heard Byrne had previously committed offences where he had made over 50 nuisance calls to the emergency services.

Mr Kevin Jones, prosecuting, said that in September last year the defendant breached the criminal behaviour order on the day he was released from prison when he called the ambulance service and was abusive to the call handler.

Paramedics attended his address but he continued to swear at them and made sexual comments to a female paramedic.

Mr Jones said the pair feared violence would be used against them and they both said they would never attend Byrne's address again.

After being arrested the defendant was bailed, but continued to commit similar offences.

Mr Jones said that in October Byrne made six phone calls to the ambulance service and the police and in the calls falsely claimed he had been assaulted by a police officer and threatened by other officers.

The court heard paramedics were again called to Byrne's address where he was found to be unsteady on his feet and had alcohol all around him.

Byrne had said he wanted to fight the male paramedic and had lashed out as he was being taken to the ambulance and had to be restrained.

At the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital he was again abusive and had threatened the security officer and bent his thumb back causing a minor injury.

Representing himself Byrne said he was sorry and knew that what he had done was unacceptable.

While in custody Byrne said he had been working in the prison library and had been teaching other inmates to read.