Jason Henshall was ordered to pay £450 to Inspector Stuart Warmisham after he admitted assaulting the officer outside the Royal George Hotel two years ago.

Chester Crown Court also ordered the 23-year-old from Shaw Drive, Knutsford, to pay £50 to a young woman police officer.

The judge also placed Henshall on probation for two years.

Speaking to the Knutsford Guardian on Monday, Inspector Warmisham refused to comment on the sentence.

"The law is the law and he has been to court so it is not for me to say anything," he said.

The inspector's finger was broken after he and fellow officers were called to the Royal George Hotel shortly before 1am on 23 August 1999.

A young man was left in a coma after a separate fight in the King Street pub which eventually spilled on to the streets.

At Knutsford Crown Court in December, Henshall admitted the assaults and causing affray. Sentence was adjourned.

On Monday, Inspector Warmisham said officers faced fears of being attacked every day.

"It is always there, but we don't have sleepless nights over it," he said.

"When you report for duty you never know what is going to happen, but if you worried too much you would not go out of your house."

He said the police were under increased pressure to cut crime from both the public and their bosses.

"Everyone is asking for more and more from bobbies and some of them can feel isolated," he said.

"It can affect morale when there are so many pressures both from within and outside the police."