A TEENAGE girl who unleashed a tirade of racial abuse at a Nelson taxi driver after drinking a bottle of Sambuca has apologised to magistrates.

Burnley Youth Court was told cabbie Abid Hussain Shah was working at Ronnie’s Taxis when three young women and a young man came in asking for a taxi.

Prosecutor David Hartley said they told him that they didn’t have any money, so he refused to take them out.

One of the teenage girls then hurled racist remarks at Mr Shah, who called police.

Police arrested the teenager, but she continued making racist remarks while being escorted back to the police station.

Keith Rennison, defending, said the girl had ‘little recollection’ of the incident, as she had drank a bottle of Sambuca that night, but was now ‘thoroughly ashamed’ of her actions.

The girl, from Burnley, admitted racially aggravated threatening behaviour and was given a six-month referral order, with £50 compensation.