A man who got into an argument during a wake at a pub in Shropshire has been jailed after he threatened to burn the bar down before returning with a petrol can and terrifying customers.

Matthew Rogers, 29, was drinking at a wake being held at the Railway Inn, in Oswestry, last August when he threatened its landlord.

Rogers, from Birch Close, in Ruyton-XI-Towns, near Oswestry, had been drinking in the pub since early on the afternoon but had got into an argument with another drinker at about 7pm.

Shrewsbury Crown Court heard yesterday how Rogers left the pub after the argument and told the landlord, Lawrence Hill, he did nothing wrong, before threatening to return and burn his bar down.

Mr Philip Beardwell, prosecuting, said: “The defendant said ‘I’m going to come back and burn your pub to the ground’.

“Five or 10 minutes later Mr Hill saw the defendant with a green plastic petrol can which he shook at Mr Hill and waved towards the petrol station. He now feared the threat would be carried out.

“Five minutes later the defendant returned carrying the petrol can in his hands and Mr Hill began to panic.

“He saw a police car towards the rear of the pub and ran over to it.”

Mr Beardwell added the defendant was next seen standing and shouting on the top of a flat-roofed Chinese restaurant before he was arrested after a violent struggle with police.

Rogers had admitted a charge of threatening to destroy or damage property.

Judge Robert Trevor-Jones jailed Rogers for eight months.

Mr Michael Sherwood-Smith, for Rogers, said his client had tackled a drug problem. He said: “He drank quite a great deal on the day. Mr Rogers seemed to be concerned that he was being picked on by the landlord. He insists he was not going to carry out his threat.”

Sentencing Rogers, Judge Trevor-Jones said: “What you did was sufficient to frighten a lot of people.”