A 59-YEAR-OLD woman has been bound over to keep the peace by Weymouth magistrates after pushing another woman to the floor during a row in a supermarket queue.

Magistrates heard how Nikki Evans, of Main Street in Broadmayne, was in a queue at the till in Tesco supermarket in Dorchester and had unloaded her shopping onto a conveyor belt.

Prosecuting, Jonathan Kingdon said: "Another woman joined the queue behind her and attempted to unload her shopping. She found her way was obstructed by the defendant despite asking her to move. The defendant had left her far too little space.

"As she turned around to unload her shopping the other woman's backside collided with the defendant's who turned around and pushed her with both hands, sending her sprawling across the floor. The defendant then paid for her own goods and left the store.

"The defendant was arrested and in a police interview claimed the backsides of the two women collided four times and after the fourth time she committed the assault."

In mitigation, Jim Rankin said: "This lady is of previous good character and it has been an upsetting and distressing year for her with this hanging around.

"When the other woman joined the queue behind her she was stuck and couldn't move forward because there was a person in front of her.

"She said this other lady pushed her four times after which she over-reacted and pushed her back, and unfortunately she ended up on the floor."

Evans pleaded not guilty to assault but admitted breach of the peace. The magistrates bound here over in the sum of £100 for six months to keep the peace, especially in supermarket queues.