A streaker who ran across the pitch during a football match was jailed yesterday - but not for his bare-faced cheek.

Bradford magistrates heard how Wayne Allen thought he would liven things up during the match between Bradford City and Crewe Alexandra in March last year.

He was arrested after stripping off and running around the stadium, shaking hands with players as he went.

The court was told that Geoffrey Richmond, club chairman at the time, had said later that while he could not condone Allen's actions, they were not threatening.

The magistrates decided that Allen - a City fan since he was four - should be banned from every football ground in the country for two years.

But worse was to come for the 31-year-old window fitter, when he was jailed for a total of four months for other offences committed later last year.

Allen, of Bronte Old Road, Thornton, pleaded guilty to going on to the playing area during a match, theft, dangerous driving, assaulting a police officer, failing to give a breath sample, having no insurance, MoT and driving licence, and failing to turn up at court on a previous occasion.

He was also ordered to pay £50 compensation to the officer he assaulted, banned from driving for 18 months and will have to take a test before driving again.

Gavin Howie, prosecuting, said the police were seeking an order banning Allen from matches because they and the club were trying to promote a family-friendly atmosphere at the stadium.

Two months later Allen was arrested after police saw his van driving erratically in Thornton Road, Bradford but he refused to give a breath sample and struck one officer as he kicked out.

The theft charge arose out of an incident a week earlier when Allen took boxes of sealant and adhesive, valued at £85, from industrial premises in Dodworth, Barnsley.

Sajad Choudhury, mitigating, said the football offence was simply a case of Allen getting over-excited.

Allen was originally charged with threatening behaviour, but some of the people at the game had stated they did not find his actions threatening.

"We contacted the Crewe Alexandra Supporters Club and we were inundated with letters of support, saying that a ban would be totally disproportionate to what happened that day," said Mr Choudhury.