A man found with a knife in his pocket after a restaurant disturbance in Colchester town centre has been jailed.

Simon King, 56, of Crouch Street, Colchester, was jailed for six months at Chelmsford Crown Court on Monday after pleading guilty to possession of a knife in a public place.

Essex Police were called about a disturbance at a restaurant in High Street around 11.40pm on Sunday, June 17 last year.

King was seen walking away from the restaurant and was detained. During a search, officers found a knife with a locking mechanism in his pocket.

The knife was seized and will now be destroyed.

Chief Inspector Rob Huddleston, district commander for Colchester, said: "This sentence sends out a clear message that if you carry a knife, you will be stopped, searched and arrested.

"My officers are out every day looking for criminals who carry knives. In this case, King claimed he was simply carrying a craft knife and never intended to use it to injury and threaten someone.

"However, he still went out in public and had a dangerous weapon on him. There are simply no excuses and he will now face the consequences of his actions."