AN alcoholic woman who hurled racist abuse at a Soham shop manager when she was refused service is to receive counselling. Lorraine Meads was locked in the Soham Shopper because staff thought she had failed to pay for a can of beer she started to drink, a

AN alcoholic woman who hurled racist abuse at a Soham shop manager when she was refused service is to receive counselling.

Lorraine Meads was locked in the Soham Shopper because staff thought she had failed to pay for a can of beer she started to drink, and when police were called she kicked an officer.

At an earlier court hearing, 42-year Meads, of White Hart Lane, Soham, admitted using racially aggravated threatening behaviour on May 19, and assaulting PC Darren Goodwin.

Prosecuting at Ely courthouse on Thursday, Emma Dmitriev said shop manager Rajiv Patel refused to serve Meads because she was drunk, and asked her to leave.

Swearing, she called him "a black foreigner" and used other racist language. Police were called when she started to drink from a can of beer, and she kicked an officer..

"She was taken to the floor and handcuffed and taken into custody," said Mrs Dmitriev.

Mitigating, solicitor Michael Judkins said Meads had difficulty in understanding what the manager said. But, he said, she has a Jamaican father and had no racist tendencies

"She was locked in the store and felt it was an overblown situation, so she was not well disposed to the police when the arrived," he explained. Meads apologised for her behaviour.

Magistrates gave Meads a community order with 12-month supervision, a nine-month alcohol treatment requirement and she must pay £60 costs.