Ross County footballer Iain Vigurs punched nightclub staff before trying to headbutt a police officer in a drunken outburst.

The Premiership player punched a member of staff at Johnny Foxes in Inverness before being thrown out of the nightspot in February.

Half a dozen officers had to be deployed to the bar with the footballer being handcuffed as he resisted arrest.

Vigurs didn't appear before Sheriff David Sutherland and instead pleaded guilty by letter to three charges.

He was fined a total of £1000 and ordered to pay it at £100 a week.

The 31-year-old midfielder admitted assaulting a door steward by punching him on the head; resisting and obstructing PC James Iredale and PC Karen Macdonald in the execution of their duty by tensing his arms and struggling with them.

He also pleaded guilty to assaulting PC Macdonald by attempting to headbutt her on the head.

Fiscal depute Roderick Urquhart told the court it was about 12.30am when Vigurs was refused service because he had too much to drink and was to be ejected from the premises.

He said: "He became argumentative and aggressive towards a member of bar staff and when another came to assist, he punched him on the face.

"Police were called and arrived within five minutes and Vigurs by that time was being restrained to the ground by bar staff.

"He was arrested but kept tensing his body and behaving aggressively.

"It took six constables to ensure he was properly arrested and he attempted to head-butt one constable while handcuffed to the ground and attempting to get up.

"Shackles had to be applied. He was kept in custody until he sobered up."

As Vigurs pleaded by letter, nothing was said in open court in his defence.

Following the assault, a Ross County spokesman said: "Ross County are aware that one of our players was arrested by police in Inverness City Centre in the early hours of February 3.

"As this is a police investigation it would be inappropriate to make any further comment."