A YORK teenager went on the run when the welcome at Fulford Road Police Station turned too warm for his liking, a court heard.

Paul Brown, 19, had to report daily to the police as part of his bail conditions, Khalim Al'hassan, prosecuting, told York Crown Court.

But when he popped in on Sunday, September 17, PC Roy Allen wanted to discuss his activities of the night before - and arrested him. But Brown bolted for the door. He pushed PC Allen, injuring his knee and hand. The policeman grabbed Brown's jacket, but the clothing tore and Brown got away.

Four weeks later, police spotted him to the rear of some properties and tried to arrest him. But after a chase through snickets and alleyways, he again got away.

He was eventually arrested on November 15 when police mounted a dawn raid on a house different from the one he was using in September.

Brown, of Ordnance Lane, Fulford, pleaded guilty to escape. Judge Paul Hoffman put him on probation for 12 months, saying he could not have done so if Brown had not spent the equivalent of a five-month sentence on remand since his arrest.

Mr Al'hassan said PC Allen had wanted to know why an off-duty policeman had seen Brown running for a bus at 9.15pm on September 16 when he should have been observing a bail condition that he stay at home between 8pm and 6am - and why no one had answered the door at his home when police called round at 10.30pm the same night.

Brown told police later he had panicked in the police station.

Updated: 12:40 Saturday, February 03, 2001