A CAR wash boss armed himself with a hockey stick and attacked and racially abused an engineer who had been called in to mend broken machinery, Burnley magistrates heard.

The court was told Aftab Afzal, 30, lost his temper and shoulder-charged pressure wash engineer Damien Johnson's van door, wedging him in the vehicle and injuring his knee.

Mr Johnson, who has suffered rheumatoid arthritis since he was 11 years old, and was in a state of total panic, was then chased through the streets of Nelson and Colne, before Afzal caught up with him in Asda car park and repeated the attack on him.

Afzal, of Beaufort Street, Nelson, was convicted of racially aggravated assault by beating and damage.

He was given 110 hours unpaid work and ordered to pay a total of £350 in compensation and costs.

Andrew Robinson, prosecuting, told the court Mr Johnson was sub-contracted by Optional Hygiene which had done a job for the defendant in 2005.

Last December Mr Johnson, an engineer for 20 years, was again sub-contracted to go to the defendant's premises to sort out machines.

He told the defendant the reason that they were not working because dirty fuel was being used.

The prosecutor said Afzal picked up a hockey stick, swung it in an arc and Mr Johnson had to slowly manoeuvre his way back to his van as the defendant went towards him with the stick shouting racial abuse.

The defendant then shoulder charged Mr Johnson's van door against his legs, wedging him between the sill and the door. Afzal smashed the hockey stick against the vehicle, causing £200 worth of damage.

Martin Christie, defending, said Afzal behaved completely out of character. If the machines at his business did not work, he did not earn money.

He would say Mr Johnson was equally as aggressive. The defendant was remorseful and apologised.