A FORMER Sauchie man who was accused of pulling cigarette lighters out of his bottom and hurling them at nurses and medics saw the bizarre allegation dropped by prosecutors.

Adam Nicolson had been accused of performing the vile trick at the Forth Valley Royal Hospital in Larbert, Stirlingshire.

It had been alleged that he did "remove cigarette lighters from your anus and throw them at medical staff there" and that this was said to have been "likely to cause a reasonable person to suffer fear and alarm".

But at Falkirk Sheriff Court, defence agent John Good said Nicolson would plead guilty to a statutory breach of the peace, subject to "that aspect of the charge" being deleted.

Fiscal depute Graham McLachlan said the arrangement was acceptable to the Crown.

Nicolson, 22, pleaded guilty instead to behaving in a threatening and abusive manner, shouting and swearing, slamming doors, uttering offensive remarks and making threats of violence.

A further allegation, that jobless Nicholson had assaulted a staff nurse, Jane Trimble, by throwing a lighter at her, was also dropped.

The mayhem took place at the hospital over a seven-day period, between the 16-22 of January this year.

Mr Good said Nicholson, now of Cowane Street, Stirling, was already subject to a community payback order in respect of earlier offences, and was due to appear at a review at the end of the month.

He said: "I'd suggest that if all the matters were dealt with by one sheriff in one forum, that would be more efficacious."

Sheriff Derek Livingston said: "I will be much more inclined to a further CPO if he is doing well on the current order."

Sentence on Nicolson was deferred until August 30 for a background report.