A Turkish restaurant worker from Watford has been given a community order after pleading guilty to racial harassment at Stansted Airport coach station.

The incident happened after a jibe was made about "turkeys being eaten for Christmas" Chelmsford Magistrates were told.

Sinan Osman, 40, of Bradshaw Road, abused customer services staff and accused one of them of being racist, a court the court was told.

He then described staff as being black in a derogatory manner and told them, "I would rape you".

Osman, who was born in this country, pleaded guilty to an offence of causing racially aggravated harassment, alarm or distress on November 26 this year and was given a 12-month community order with 120 hours unpaid work and costs of £145.

Prosecutor Angela Hughes said members of the public, including children, were at the coach station when Osman was abusive.

Mitigating, Aileen Tring said: "Osman badly over-reacted to a comment made about him coming from Turkey and turkey being something you ate at Christmas. That's when it kicked off."

She said Osman, who was of Turkish descent but brought up in this country, had been drinking alcohol which he didn't normally do.

She continued: "He has been subject to racism, and his friends, through his entire life so he is sick at the thought he is now considered a racist because that is not what he is.

"He apologises to members of staff in the coach station and accepts it was entirely unacceptable and bitterly regrets doing it.

"He has learned a harsh lesson. It's on his record that he is a racist."

As he left the dock, Osman said: "I apologise. I am not a racist person."