A police cell had to be steam-cleaned after a local man smeared blood on the walls, a court has heard.

David Kenneth Clark, aged 24, of 61 Bro Teifi, Cardigan, pleaded guilty to criminal damage when he appeared before Aberystwyth magistrates on Wednesday.

The court heard that Clark was arrested on suspicion of assault on August 10, and taken to the police station.

He smeared blood from a cut on his finger on the inside of the cell, which required a specialist company to steam clean it, costing £132.

Clark denied the assault charge, which was discontinued by the Crown Prosecution Service.

Alan Lewis, defending, said his client was arrested in the early hours of the morning, when he believed he had done nothing wrong.

He said: “Out of sheer frustration he rubbed his hand on the cell wall. He accepts he had been reckless and will have to pay for the cleaning of the cell.”

He added that the matter had been hanging over the defendant’s head since August.

Magistrates imposed a six month conditional discharge and ordered Clark to pay £132 compensation, £85 court costs and a £15 victim surcharge.

The presiding magistrate said: “Keep out of trouble now. If you get into trouble in the next six months, this will come back to haunt you again.”