FENLAND footballer Denny Escorcio was arrested as he stepped off a plane at Luton airport on Monday after missing a court appearance for being drunk and disorderly.

The March Town United striker was kept in the cells overnight before his appearance today before Fenland magistrates who heard how the teenager striker had shouted and swore in the streets and failed to go home when told to by police.

“He said he was going to the Griffin Hotel to sort things out,” explained prosecutor John Goodier at Wisbech courthouse.

“A police van was brought round, he was placed in the rear; he was unsteady on his feet and clearly drunk.”

Escorcio - who failed to attend court on December 15 because he was visiting family in Portugal - was arrested at the airport on Monday.

The 19-year-old, of Corn Mill, March, admitted being drunk and disorderly and failing to comply with a police direction on December 4, and failing to turn up at court on December 15.

He was fined �150 but the court waived it because of the time he had spent in custody.

CCTV operators had alerted police just before midnight, because of a disturbance, said Mr Goodier. Escorcio was given a notice to leave the area for 12 hours; he signed it but then became verbally abusive.

“He threw his arms around and pointed at the police; he continued to shout and swear and was told to leave. He refused, and said he wanted to go to the Griffin Hotel to talk to door staff,” added Mr Goodier.

Escorcio said little except to confirm that he had been drunk.

He said his only income came from football, and he was hoping to return to college to do a sports related course.