A depressed farmer who staged a road blockage to highlight his dispute with Barclays Bank has avoided a jail sentence.

Bur father-of-four Harry Sutcliffe was given a stern warning by a judge about any further public protests.

In March this year the 44-year-old used bales of hay from his home at Cow House Farm, Cullingworth, to barricade the nearby Bingley Road. He also erected hoardings referring to his dispute with Barclays Bank.

Having prevented traffic from using the road, Sutcliffe then threatened to set fire to one of the bales before sitting in his tractor armed with a pick axe handle and a drum containing two gallons of petrol.

Bradford Crown Court heard yesterday that Sutcliffe threatened to set fire to PC Sheena Watson when she arrived on the scene and made similar threats to douse himself or anyone else in petrol if they approached. The stand-off lasted for about four hours and meant that a fire crew and in excess of 20 police officers were involved in dealing with the incident.

Prosecutor David Kelly pointed out that throughout the drama Sutcliffe was smoking heavily while in the cab and fire officers feared that at any time there could be an explosion.

Mr Kelly described how police sergeant Peter McCorkindale bravely built up a rapport with Sutcliffe despite his mood swings and persuaded him that no one from Barclays Bank would be attending the scene in response to his protest.

The officer was able to grab the pick axe handle from Sutclffe's lap and eventually he agreed to end his blockade on condition that he was allowed to feed his livestock before the police took him into custody.

Sutcliffe, who was previously bound over in relation to another protest, pleaded guilty to charges of affray and possessing an offensive weapon.

He was yesterday made the subject of a community rehabilitation order for two years with a condition that he take part in session aimed at conflict resolution and anger control.

Passing the sentence, Judge Scott Wolsten-holme told Sutcliffe: "It is a sad factor of present life that your difficulties are shared by many in the rural communities who have the good sense and restraint not to let their frustration boil over into criminal offences."