A man caused mayhem in a pet shop car park when staff accused him of stealing a rat, a court was told.

Painter and decorator Mark Collier, 51, angrily got into his van and tried to drive away from the Pets at Home store in Gloucester - but one of the staff was standing in front of him and was thrown onto the bonnet.

Amazingly, the shop worker managed in desperation to punch through Collier's van windscreen, shattering it, said prosecutor Julian Kesner at Gloucester Crown Court.

He said Collier then stopped his van and got out 'unhappy with his windscreen being shattered' and grabbed what looked like a piece of scaffolding pole from the back of his van.

"Members of staff, frightened at seeing him with a weapon and in temper, backed away," said Mr Kesner.

Collier, of Byron Avenue, Podsmead, faced charges of stealing a pet rat from the store, driving dangerously in the car park and affray.

He denied all the charges but admitted a less serious alternative to affray - a public order offence of causing fear of provocation or violence.

Mr Kesner said that as no evidence of the rat being stolen was ever found he would accept the pleas and drop the original charges.

Judge Jamie Tabor QC told Collier: "When I first read the details of this case it looked really rather serious but the prosecution have taken a view and it is not one I am going to gainsay. You ended up with a smashed windscreen and as a result lost your job."

The judge conditionally discharged Collier for two years.