A MAN has admitted shouting abuse at a group of Muslim friends in Worcester city centre in an unprovoked attack, asking them: 'are you planning a terrorist attack?'

The seven minute tirade by Neil Hotchkiss was captured on video by the shocked group who were chatting outside Selasie Clarke's Jamaican food trailer Jamaica Wah Gwaan, which is at the corner of Church Street, between Barclays Bank and Superdrug.

Mr Clarke later posted a picture of Hotchkiss to Facebook with details of his rant in a post that has now been shared more than 600 times.

Mr Clarke said he and friends were chatting when Hotchkiss approached them and said, 'what are you doing? Are you planning a terrorist attack?'

Mr Clarke said: "Some of the guys were dressed in Muslim attire. We are not typically English looking but two of us are English and two are not.

"He started to say, 'your kind are not welcome here, in this country.

"He was ranting on and saying a lot of horrible stuff.

"It was just horrendous.

"It was aimed at Muslims and foreigners. He thought we were foreigners because we are not white. He was so wrong."

Hotchkiss continued his rant even though passersby came over to support the group and asked him to stop.

Mr Clarke said his friends left but Hotchkiss later returned to his food trailer and made threats towards him. The incident happened on Friday, July 7.

Hotchkiss, aged 44, appeared at Worcester Magistrates Court on Monday where he admitted two counts of acting in a way likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress, which was religiously aggravated.

Hotchkiss, of Pierpoint Street, was given a community order for 12 months and must wear an electronic monitoring tag until October.

He was also ordered to pay two lots of £50 compensation, an £85 victim surcharge and £180 costs.

Mr Clarke who grew up in Jamaica but has lived in England for nearly two decades said: "I was shocked because I've never experienced that in my 18 years of living in this country.

"It was horrible."

He added: "After it sank in, it bothered me. I didn't know it would affect me that much but it really did."

Mr Clarke said he was reassured when he returned to work on Monday after people came to see him and a police officer popped by to check he was OK.

He said: "A total stranger came up to me because they saw it on social media and they apologised on his behalf.

"A lot of people have come and said he doesn't represent Worcester.

"It was nice. People made me feel a little bit better."

Superintendent Kevin Purcell, Policing Commander for South Worcestershire, said: "This was a very nasty unprovoked incident that has no place on our streets.

"I am pleased that my team responded in a timely manner and Neil Hotchkiss was dealt with swiftly by the courts within a few days.

"I am proud that the police follow up to our victims has been appropriate and supportive.

"Any type of hate crime appals me."

He said police would deal with any such incidents in a timely manner and promised to work with partners and communities to show such behaviour was unacceptable.

He added: "I think all of us that live in this county would say in relation to any form of hate crime the phrase, 'not in my name'."