An alcoholic who threatened to stab police officers during a stand-off outside his Queensbury home has been spared a prison term because the jails are full.

Judge Roger Scott said officers should not have to put up with Anthony Dignam's behaviour and he wanted to jail him for between nine and 12 months.

But he added: "The other side of the coin is that the Govern-ment and others say the prisons are full, you shouldn't lock people up for a short time, and please don't send people to custody if you can possibly avoid it.

"It's plain here, from the medical report and the probation report, that I could possibly avoid it and so I will. But I have written down in my notebook 'not a cat in hell's chance of success'.

"I'm going to put those words in my computer because I think if I had an empty prison system at the moment into which you could go, I would send you for nine to 12 months because I don't think the police should have to put up with this sort of thing."

Dignam, of Alexandra Street, Queensbury, pleaded guilty to a charge of affray and was made the subject of a community rehabilitation order for 12 months with a condition that he take part in an alcohol abuse programme.

Bradford Crown Court heard how three police officers attended Dignam's home in November and found him on the porch with an eight-inch knife in his hand.

Prosecutor Ben Crosland said he started shouting threats that he would stab the officers, and one of them had to request back-up from a dog handler and an armed response unit.

Dignam continued to brandish the knife, and one of the officers even left the engine of the police vehicle running in case a quick getaway was needed.

As other officers arrived on the scene, Dignam claimed to have "a shooter" and threatened to shoot anyone who came closer.

At one stage, he appeared outside his home with a coat over his arm giving the impression of having a gun, then threw a large stone at another police car.

He was eventually restrained with CS spray, but not before he had tried to pull a roofrack off a police van and attacked another vehicle with a metal pole.

When he was questioned about the events, Dignam said he could remember little about them because he had been drinking that afternoon.

His barrister Nikki Peers said he maintained that he did not intend to stab any officers.

The court heard that as well as problems with alcohol, Dignam was also being treated for depression.

Miss Peers said he had now reduced his alcohol intake.

She added that he was in a state of emotional turmoil at the time and genuinely apologised.