A MILLOM man hurled racist abuse towards staff at a takeaway.

Self-employed builder Tony Joseph Woodburn had been a customer of CK's Takeaway in Millom Square for the past 15 years.

The 39-year-old, of Lapstone Road, visited the takeaway in the early hours of September 29.

For no apparent reason a clearly intoxicated Woodburn began shouting racist comments towards the staff.

At South Cumbria Magistrates' Court on Wednesday prosecutor Carl Gaffney said: "Staff who work in takeaways tend to develop a thick skin but what they don't have a thick skin for is when comments are made about the colour of their skin.

"The police were called but they didn't come straightaway.

"When they did attend they were pointed in the direction of where Mr Woodburn had gone and he was arrested."

When Woodburn was interviewed by police he apologised for his behaviour and said he 'was not a racist'.

Defence solicitor Mike Graham said Woodburn had been experiencing some problems with his building firm which had led to him drinking on the night of the incident.

"He is in a partnership with another man and they'd been having issues with money which led to a stressful situation as they have employees and contractors to pay," he said.

"On the night in question he had had a domestic argument and ended up going out and drinking to excess.

"He tells me he does not normally drink much, if at all, and this was out of character.

"He has been a customer of the takeaway for 15 years and does not know why he made the comments he made."

Woodburn pleaded guilty to using threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress and admitted the offence was racially-aggravated.

Magistrates gave him credit for his guilty plea and his obvious remorse.

Woodburn was fined £215 and was also ordered to pay £85 court costs and a £32 victim surcharge.

Chair of the bench Jackie Forster told Woodburn the fine had been increased from £110 because the offence was racially-aggravated.

The total balance of £332 must be paid at a rate of £150 per month.