A MAN who shouted racial abuse at a pizza shop worker thought he was just engaging in banter, a court has heard.

John McHale from Fishburn admitted racially aggravated harassment and alarm when he appeared at Newton Aycliffe Magistrates’ Court.

The 38-year-old of Moorside Crescent also pleaded guilty to resisting a police officer.

Prosecutor Blair Martin said Mchale went into a pizza shop in Fishburn at about 8pm on December 5.

When the Palestinian worker asked Mr Mchale what he would like, Mchale called him an “Arab b*****d” and “black b*****d”, the court heard.

Police were called and when McHale was being arrested he resisted the officer resulting in him being pepper sprayed, the court heard.

Graham Ablett in mitigation said his client had been out drinking because his step-father had died, and felt genuine remorse about what he said.

District Judge Martin Walker asked the probation service to prepare a verbal report.

The officer said Mchale knew the staff in the pizza shop and they had previously exchanged comments as Mchale’s step-father was Jewish.

The probation report said Mchale had exchanged comments in a “tit for tat” manner and that it had been “banter between the two parties”.

District Judge Walker said racial abuse should not be tolerated by society and the incident had been fuelled by alcohol.

He gave Mchale an 18 month conditional discharge for the abuse and a six month community order with supervision for the resist PC.

Mchale was also ordered to pay a £60 victim surcharge.