A DRUNKEN man who hurled racial abuse at Asian shop assistants pretended to have a gun, a court has heard.

Mark Drinkwater, from Albert Road, Evesham, told people to go "back to their own country", shouting "I'll shoot", before eventually being tackled by a shop worker, who restrained him until police arrived.

Worcester magistrates heard how the 31-year-old's tirade began at the Spar shop in Mayfair and then later at a newsagent in Fourpools Road on Saturday, February 22.

Mark Elliott, prosecuting, said a shop assistant at the Spar overheard Drinkwater saying to another man that he was going to "give him some grief" before shouting and swearing in a racist attack, telling him to "get out of my country".

"He said Mr Drinkwater also threatened to burn down his shop and smash his shop window. He phoned the police after the incident," said Mr Elliott.

At the newsagent, later on that afternoon, he approached an Asian woman, wagged his finger at her and again told her to leave the country. He left and later returned to the shop, saying: "I have got a gun and I will shoot."

"She said she was extremely frightened when he held up his hand and pointed his finger at her in a gesture of having a gun," said Mr Elliott.

Her husband eventually tackled Drinkwater, who had wandered behind the counter.

Drinkwater admitted two accounts of causing aggravation and fear of violence through racist words.

Martha Recordon, defending, said he had been drinking from early morning and he realised his behaviour was unacceptable.

"By afternoon he was under the influence of alcohol and he is appalled by his behaviour."

Drinkwater was sentenced to three months' imprisonment for the Four Pools newsagent incident, and two months for the Spar attack. Both sentences were to run concurrently.