A MAN threatened to torch the Black Boy pub in Newtown after his partner was asked to leave the premises.

Alan McClorey made the threat on August 8, during which he also threatened to burn down the home of the pub's manager while his children were in it.

McClorey, 35, changed his plea to guilty on the day he was due to stand trial at Welshpool Magistrates Court, charged with threatening to damage or destroy property.

He also pleaded guilty to being drunk and disorderly, when appearing for sentencing in Welshpool.

Helen Tench, prosecuting, said the threats were made when the manager of the Wetherspoons pub on Broad Street asked a female to leave as she appeared to be intoxicated.

McClorey said he was the woman's partner, and the manager offered to refund them for their meal, but the defendant became angry and told the manager he would "come for him" and "find out" where he lived.

Ms Tench said McClorey added that he would "burn the pub down and burn your house down with your kids in it", adding "this place will go up in flames with you inside it".

When police officers arrived they formed the opinion that McClorey was drunk and told him to leave, but when they were speaking to the manager in his office, McClorey could be seen outside the door on CCTV jabbing his finger towards staff and saying "you're all going up in flames".

He was taken to the floor by officers and arrested, admitting that he had a 'loose mouth', adding that he did not mean his comments and could not understand why the manager had wanted to put the refund on his card.

Defending McClorey, of Telford, Shropshire, Owain Jones said that his client had never intended to carry out his threats.

He said: "The offence was committed on impulse, there was no planning and the police accepted that he was drunk.

"The police advised him to go home initially as they were not ready to arrest him at that stage, which suggests little harm was caused.

"Initially he was arrested for being drunk and disorderly and people at the scene could clearly see this was a man who was drunk, saying silly things."

A probation report read out to the court indicated that McClorey suffered with his mental health due to traumatic incidents in his past, and had suffered family bereavements earlier in the year but had not been able to return to Ireland.

His decision to drink excessively on the day of the incident was impulsive, the probation service said.

Chair of the magistrates bench Stephen Pembroke gave McClorey a 12 month community order to carry out 150 hours of unpaid work.

He will also pay £350 costs and a £95 victim surcharge. No compensation was awarded as magistrates felt it could exacerbate the situation.

McClorey was also banned from entering the Black Boy pub in Newtown for a year, or behaving in any way to undermine that order.