A JUDGE has praised a brave member of the public who charged at a drunken knifeman in a Keighley street armed only with an old cooking drum.

Mark Taylor took on Liam Anderson who was wielding a large bread knife ion New Year’s Day, Bradford Crown Court heard.

Anderson, 27, of Clover Street, Great Horton, Bradford, had been drinking heavily to see in the New Year and was barely able to stand when arrested at 3pm on January 1.

He was jailed for 18 months after pleading guilty to possession of a bladed article, causing £400 of damage to a parked car and failing to answer to his bail.

Anderson, who was sentenced on a video link to Leeds Prison after being remanded in custody, was seen punching and kicking wheeled bins in Carlton Street, Keighley, prosecutor Ken Green told the court.

After damaging the car, he went into an address in the street and came out with a large bread knife.

Mr Taylor and others in the street saw Anderson waving the knife and followed him to nearby Chelsea Street.

Mr Taylor then shouted: “Don’t do anything stupid,” at Anderson.

Mr Green said Mr Taylor feared people would get hurt and charged at Anderson, armed with a discarded cooking drum.

Anderson was pursued by Mr Taylor and other members of the public into a shop and detained by them until the police arrived.

He told later interviewing officers he was too intoxicated to remember anything about the incident.

Anderson had previous convictions for motoring offences, attempted arson and damage.

Siobham White, his solicitor advocate, said in mitigation that full and helpful reports had been prepared by Anderson’s probation officer and a psychiatrist.

“He apologises for the potentially fatal consequences his actions could have had on members of the public,” Miss White said.

She added: “He is aware that a custodial sentence is the realistic option today.”

The Recorder of Bradford, Judge Roger Thomas QC, said Anderson had mental health issues and had been in a lot of trouble in the past.

Nothing had provoked him that day, he had just drunk too much.

The judge warned that if someone chose to put a knife in their hand and to produce it in public, the next step could be that the weapon was used to cause very serious injury or death.

“You come to be sentenced against the immediate background of the terrible events in London,” the judge said.

Anderson was imprisoned for 16 months for possession of the knife, with a month each consecutive for the criminal damage and Bail Act offences.

Judge Thomas publicly praised Mr Taylor and those with him for their “fortitude and bravery” in chasing and detaining Anderson.

“Rather than run away from him, they tackled him,” he said.