A MUM who is in the middle of a feud with a well-known Worcester family attacked a car with a golf club she had stashed in her child's pushchair.

Natalie Brown caused £200 of criminal damage to a car when she hit it with a golf club and assaulted the driver because she said she had been threatened by members of the Biddle family.

Brown, aged 27, of Hazel Close, Worcester, admitted criminal damage, assault by beating against Julie Biddle and possession of an offensive weapon (the golf club) in a public place when she appeared before district judge Nigel Cadbury at Worcester Magistrates Court on Friday following the incident in the city's Holly Mount Road at around 3pm on Monday, September 29.

Fred Pilkington, prosecuting, said: "There has been problems with the Biddle family for several months in which she (Natalie Brown) was suffering threats and intimidation from the complainant, Julie Biddle, and other members of her family."

Brown had been taking her child home from school when Julie Biddle pulled up and there was a verbal altercation between the two women, Mr Pilkington said.

"The defendant produced a metal golf club from her pushchair, ran towards the car and hit the vehicle two or three times with the golf club, causing damage to the bonnet and the driver's door. She reached through the window, scratching the face of Julie Biddle and causing a visible red mark on her cheek." The damage to the car was valued at £200. Julie Biddle did not require hospital treatment. In interview Brown said she had been having problems with the Biddle family and felt police had not taken action and she had 'no choice but to take the action she did'. Brown does have two previous convictions for assault from 2008.

Jason Patel, defending, said: "The Biddles are a well-known family to the criminal justice system. The injured party has come to school with a knife and threatened her but no action was taken in respect of this incident. She has been escorted to school by police because of these threats." There had been a previous incident in which Julie Biddle had driven at her when she was with her two children and placed the golf club in her pushchair when the injured party pulled alongside, making verbal threats, Mr Patel said.

Mr Patel also said a member of the Biddle family, a sister of the injured party, attended court on the day of the hearing and had to be escorted from the building after making verbal threats.

Mr Cadbury sentenced Brown to 12 weeks in custody, suspended for 12 months and placed her under supervision for 12 months. She was placed on a 10 week curfew and ordered to pay £200 compensation for the damage to the car. No award was made in relation to costs.