A GROOM spent his wedding night in a police cell after his bride punched him for refusing to join her in the marital bed.

Steve Dowey, 57, told new wife Lesley he wanted to carry on boozing with pals.

5 It was all going so well, until the groom got arrested

She belted him in the face and he shoved her, leaving Lesley on her backside in the street in her wedding dress. Cops were called and Steve was led away in cuffs.

She said: "It was an absolutely perfect wedding day right up to the point where the police arrived to arrest my groom."

The pair wed at St Cuthbert's Church, in Kirkleatham, near Redcar, North Yorks, on December 3 after a whirlwind romance.

The keen bikers were taken to the ceremony by a fleet of motorcycle-riding pals and were then taken by motor-trike to the reception in the town's Citizen's Priory Club.

5 Cops were called to break up the fight between the bride and groom

Lesley, 48, said: "We only met in March but knew we wanted to get married in the lovely church near where we live.

"It was perfect, I wore a lovely white dress and Steve looked really handsome in his shirt and tie.

"The service was beautiful and I left the church feeling on top of the world.

"When we got to the reception we were both in the mood for a celebration and got stuck into the drink.

"Unfortunately I'd been on the shorts on an empty stomach and I have to admit I was smashed.

5 The couple married in their local church St Cuthbert's Credit: � Glen Minikin

"As it got later in the evening I was tired but wanted to enjoy our wedding night together before I fell asleep so was trying to get Steve to leave.

"He was having a great time so wasn't keen to leave but that made me mad.

"We ended up in the street outside and were having a slanging match and I gave him a punch in the face.

5 Credit: � Glen Minikin The wedding reception was in Redcar Citizens Priory Club

"He shoved me and I fell backwards and made a bit of a racket.

"Someone called the police and before either we knew what was happening they arrived and dragged Steve off to the police station.

"I was in floods of tears and begged them not to lock up my husband on our wedding night but they were having none of it."

5 Credit: FACEBOOK

The couple, who are both jobless, each have three children to previous relationships and Lesley has four grandchildren.

Steve, 57, who has two grandchildren, spent 18 hours in custody at Redcar police station before he was released.

He said: "It was a wedding night neither of us will forget but not for the right reasons.

"I wasn't worried about how Lesley would react when I was released it was obvious she didn't want me to be locked up in the first place.

"Married life always has its ups and down but we maybe moved into ours a little too quickly."

A Cleveland Police spokesman said: "We were called to an altercation in which a 57-year-old man was reported to have assaulted a female outside a club in Redcar.

"He was arrested but released later without charge."