A man accused of making false allegations of homophobia made more complaints to Norfolk police than any other person, a court has heard.

Jamie Shand, 39, is charged with three counts of calling Norfolk police to make false allegations against people he either met in the street or in shops in Diss.

Norwich Magistrates Court heard on Monday (June 17) the complaints were part of a pattern of behaviour that saw him contacting police or people's employers accusing them of abusing him because of his sexuality or mental health issues.

PC Andy Barkway, of Norfolk Police, said: "I have looked at the nature of each complaint and all the different parties and there is a pattern.

"The same complaint is being lodged against numerous unconnected parties.

"If you look at the number of complaints that were made in the Diss area or across Norfolk there are far more complaints coming from Mr Shand than any other member of the public."

Jonathan Green, manager of Poundstrecher in Diss, told the court that following a conversation on August 27 last year Shand had sent a complaint to police and the company head office claiming he had called him a "puff" and "paedo".

Mr Green said: "He said that he was unhappy with the service and that I had been homophobic. It felt to me like he was trying to penalise me for being homophobic when I had made no remarks about his sexuality, nor did I have any knowledge of his sexuality."

Questioned by Alistair Taunton, for Shand, Mr Green said he had used the term "tapped" which he admitted was a degoratory remark relating to mental health. "I felt that I was pushed until I gave him the reaction that he wanted," he said.

Daniel Lund, from Roydon, said his wife had met Shand while walking their dog on August 30 and a confrontation had developed.

He later learnt Shand had contacted police to say he had been threatened.

Mr Lund said: "He told me I was prejudiced against him because of his sexuality and his mental health, but I had no knowledge of either."

He admitted he had said he would like to "smack you in the mouth" to Shand during the confrontation, under cross examination by Mr Taunton.

Shand, who now lives in Sutton in Cambridgeshire, is also accused of assaulting a postal worker who visited his then home at Nicholls Way, Roydon, on January 8 this year.

He had also been charged with stalking but the charge was dropped after he agreed on acquittal to a restraining order that prevents him from contacting Myhills pet and garden shop in Diss or its staff.

The trial continues.