A VILLAGE doctors' surgery had to be evacuated when a man went berserk in the reception area, a court was told.

Peter Montague began ranting and raving, overturning chairs and tables at the Field Lane surgery in Kessingland. At one stage, he held a fire extinguisher over his head and threw it at doors.

As the violence escalated, other patients were forced to leave the building and police who arrived on the scene used a taser to incapacitate Montague after he squared up to them in athreatening way.

Appearing Ipswich Crown Court on Tuesday, Montague, 49, of The Nordalls, Kessingland, admitted affray and being in breach of a suspended prison sentence.

He was given a 12-month prison sentence suspended for 18 months, placed on supervision for 18 months and ordered to do 200 hours unpaid work in the community. He was also ordered to pay �600 compensation for damage he caused to the doctors' surgery.

Passing sentence, Judge Rupert Overbury told Montague he had acted in a terrifying manner and had appeared to be in a blind rage. 'This was a horrendous piece of criminal damage to a doctors' surgery,' he said.

'Even when police tried to use a taser on you, you ignored it and on the second attempt they managed to contain you.'

Judge Overbury said that as Montague had spent 78 days in custody since the affray in February he felt able to pass a suspended prison sentence.

Montague had responded well to supervision in the past, he said, and a suspended sentence would mean he would remain under supervision for 18 months.

Patricia Doggett, prosecuting, told the court the incident had occurred during the afternoon of February 17.

Staff at the surgery inititally became concerned when they saw Montague was lying on the floor, holding his head as if he was in pain. He had then started to strike out with his arms and legs and making incoherent noises.

The police were called and patients had to be asked to leave the building because Montague started overturning tables and chairs and threw a fire extinguisher at doors, she told the court.