YORK City Knights centre Gareth Edward Lloyd made a big impact with the law during his father's 50th birthday celebrations.

The 29-year-old professional rugby player injured a fellow diner's nose with a head-butt and repeated punches in the men's toilets at the Akash Tandoori Restaurant in North Street, York Crown Court heard.

His victim was Detective Chief Superintendent Nicholas Bracken, who was on an evening out with officers from Leeds and London.

The Honorary Recorder of York, Judge Paul Hoffman, spared Lloyd jail but ordered him to pay £2,000 compensation to the senior police officer. He also gave him the maximum community punishment order of 240 hours and made him pay £642 prosecution costs.

Self-employed builder Lloyd, of Wenham Road, Foxwood, pleaded guilty to causing actual bodily harm.

Det Chief Supt Bracken, of British Transport Police, himself a veteran rugby player, told the judge he had two operations on his nose after an emergency admission to hospital, and he faces another operation. The injury cost him three weeks off work.

He said that his group were chatting with other diners on June 17 when Lloyd's group entered the restaurant.

Immediately Lloyd caused a problem until his companions calmed him down.

Later the officer went to the toilet.

Lloyd claimed he had only punched the policeman once. He told the judge he had gone out to celebrate his father's 50th birthday with friends after a training session.

He believed that one of the police group insulted his father and denied prosecution suggestions that he had deliberately followed the officer into the toilets.

His barrister Nicholas Barker said he was remorseful.

Updated: 10:27 Saturday, April 12, 2003