A boyfriend who poured diesel over police officers and their patrol car before attempting to set fire to them has been warned he faces a jail sentence.

Anthony Tieman, 46, was waving a cigarette lighter around and police feared he would set the car or their uniforms alight.

But the officers managed to arrest him before he sparked a blaze.

At Lewes Crown Court Tieman admitted attempted arson while being reckless as to whether life would be endangered.

He also admitted two offences of common assault plus damaging CDs and a mobile phone belonging to his girlfriend Sharon Rhodes.

Judge Simon Coltart adjourned sentence for psychiatric and probation reports to be prepared.

He said: "He is obviously a man who has trouble controlling himself sometimes."

Tieman was arrested on July 15 this year after an argument with a neighbour turned into a domestic incident with his girlfriend.

Police at the time described how Tieman barricaded himself inside his home in Beckett Lane, Langley Green, Crawley, when officers were called to deal with the row.

He used furniture to block the door and windows.

But minutes later he came out carrying a can of diesel and threw flammable liquid at the officers and their car and threatened to set fire to them with his lighter.

Two of the officers, Police Constables Duncan Mitchell and Dean Bagwell, have been given bravery awards for their part in the incident.

The two officers received Certificates of Commendation at a ceremony in October for the courage they showed in restraining Tieman.

Richard Merz, prosecuting, told the court: "This was a drunken man who rushed outside his house and started pouring diesel fuel around the place. He didn't get as far as setting fire to it, diesel is not easy to light."

Kenneth Carr, defending, said Tieman suffered from post traumatic stress disorder.

Tieman was remanded in custody until January 11 when he will be sentenced.

At the time of the incident Detective Sergeant Steve Boyle said: "You would be hard pressed to find braver officers. There was a degree of fear. They knew if they were set alight they would be seriously injured.

"It certainly benefited the officers that this was diesel and not petrol which is much easier to set alight."