A man who threatened a postman with a piece of wood and a snooker ball in a sock because too much junk mail was being delivered to his house has been jailed for six months.

David Forrest, 35, drunkenly attacked Sean Fanus twice after becoming enraged about the amount coming through his letter box.

Forrest tracked down Mr Fanus on his round and threw the letters in his face before threatening him, Snaresbrook Crown Court heard.

The incident was sparked at Forrest’s then home in Clapton, on May 23.

The court heard Forrest “adopted a boxing pose” shouting at the postie, before returning inside. He appeared again and ran towards Mr Fanus with a snooker ball inside a sock.

Police found Forrest “heavily drunk and belligerent” inside his home, the court heard.

Forrest, an alcoholic, who gave his address as Albany Road, Manor Park, admitted two counts of possessing an offensive weapon. A charge of assault by beating was left to lie on file.

Jailing him, Judge John Lafferty said: “People are often infuriated, and possibly understandably, about the amount of junk mail that comes through the door, but that’s not the responsibility of the postmen who deliver it.”