A registered sex offender from Stevenage who assaulted two police officers and hurled racist abuse at one of them has been jailed.

Daniel French, of Apollo Court, admitted the offences when he appeared before Stevenage magistrates – and was sentenced to 16 weeks behind bars by chairman of the bench Nigel Pollard.

The 34-year-old had denied the racial abuse and assaults – which happened in Sefton Road on January 29 – but changed his plea on the day his trial was set to start.

French also admitted breaching the terms of the Sexual Offences Act 2003 by failing to notify police that he was of no fixed abode on April 4.

He was already subject to a suspended sentence imposed last November for damaging a motor vehicle in Stevenage and being abusive to police officers.

In addition to the prison term, French must pay £50 in compensation to one of the officers he assaulted.

French’s previous convictions include stealing more than £1,700 in cash from his own grandmother, for which he was jailed for six months in 2016.