An Ipswich man who pulled out a knife during a fight in Ipswich town centre has been jailed for 30 weeks.

Following reports of people fighting in an alleyway near McDonalds in Tavern Street, police officers recovered a knife from a nearby bin, Ipswich Crown Court heard.

When they viewed CCTV footage of the incident they saw Lincoln Altham challenging a man with a knife and then saw Altham being attacked by a group of people, said David Wilson, prosecuting.

When Altham was interviewed by police he said he carried a knife for his own protection.

Altham, 21, of Fore Street, Ipswich, admitted having a knife in a public place, breaching the sex offenders’ register notification requirements and breaching a suspended prison sentence.

Hugh Vass, for Altham, said his client was ordered to sign the sex offenders’ register after he was cautioned for having sex with a 15-year-old girl when he was 19.

He said Altham pulled out a knife after he was confronted by a group of people in the alleyway who were going to assault him.

Altham had then waved the knife and had put it in a bin before the group attacked him, Mr Vass said.