Take-away owner in racial attack

An Iranian take-away owner watched helplessly as a youth smashed up his shop and shouted racial abuse.

Police said the youth shouted "get back to your own country" before hitting his victim in the face with a toy hammer.

He then ran off from the KPC takeaway in Leadgate, County Durham, but later returned with a real hammer and smashed shop windows and a glass counter.

The attacker was blonde, aged between 18 and 20, and 5ft 10ins.

The incident happened on Tuesday night when the man began knocking on the window of the shop and shouting taunts at the owner, who is in his 40s.

'Verbal abuse'

He then went inside and when the owner tried to push him out, he was struck in the face with the plastic toy.

The attacker fled before police arrived, but while officers made a search of the surrounding area he returned to the shop with a real hammer.

A Durham Police spokesman said: "The owner and his family have experienced problems before but usually verbal abuse.

"We hope that local authority CCTV cameras will have footage to help us identify the man responsible and we want anyone with information to contact us."