Chesterfield magistrates were told on Monday that Jason Singleton was walking along Chatsworth Road when he dropped the knife.

Prosecutor Helen Griffiths said: "He was with his partner and young child in a pushchair. The witness, Edward McMullam, saw the knife fall to the pavement.

"He says it is abhorrent that people carry knives around and it should be stopped."

Police were in the area at the time making enquiries about an incident in the town centre – and Singleton matched the description of one of the people involved.

"Mr McMullam pointed the knife out to police and said he believed the defendant had dropped it," added Mrs Griffiths.

Singleton (35), of Bentinck Road, admitted possessing a blade in public on 2nd May and said he used the knife to open bags of rabbit food and cut twine.

He had 44 previous convictions for various offences including possessing an offensive weapon.

Singleton was handed a one-year probation supervision order and a 7pm-7am curfew for two months, with £60 costs.

In mitigation, Jonathan Taaffe said Singleton was in police custody when officers showed him the knife and asked if it was his.

"It had not been brandished or used in any way," said Mr Taaffe, who had told an earlier hearing that Singleton was arrested following a disturbance in the town centre for which no charges followed.