TWO police officers were injured after a man lashed out with a tennis racket as they were trying to arrest him, a court heard.

Southampton Crown Court heard how the constables had been called to Darren Wilding’s Southampton flat after his landlord became concerned about his behaviour.

He refused to answer the door but as the PCs spoke to a neighbour, he emerged from his property and began beating her door with a tennis racket.

As officers attempted to arrest him he swung out violently with the racket.

Four officers were needed to restrain him, using batons and CS spray in what they described as a “ferocious” attack, the court heard.

It emerged that at the time of the incident in April Wilding was subject to a suspended sentence for handling stolen goods and drugs offences.

He admitted the breach along with causing criminal damage, two counts of assaulting a police officer and a public order offence.

Mitigating for Wilding, 39, of Dawlish Avenue, Ximema Jones explained that Wilding was suffering from depression and had been diagnosed as having psychotic episodes due to an historic heavy use of cannabis.

She said that while on remand Wilding, who also admitted an unrelated shoplifting charge, had begun to realise the impact the drug was having on him.

Judge Gary Burrell QC jailed Wilding for a total of 15 months for committing the offences.