A MAN begging on Blackburn station shouted racist abuse at a railway official who moved him on.

Blackburn magistrates heard Jonathan David Allen initially denied he had been seeking money from members of the public but conceded he had been trying to raise money.

Allen, 38, of Shear Brow, Blackburn, pleaded guilty to racially-aggravated threatening behaviour. He was given a conditional discharge for nine months and ordered to pay £85 costs.

Charlotte Crane, prosecuting, said Adam Amjad, a safety officer with British Transport Unit, approached Allen when he saw him on the station with a coffee cup in front of him and thought he was begging.

“He shouted racist abuse at the official which resulted in him being arrested,” said Miss Crane. “When the police arrived he apologised and said he wasn’t begging and was upset at being accused of doing that.”

Jonathan Taylor, defending, said it was right that his client had been trying to raise some money and the railway worker took exception to that.

“He felt Mr Amjad was a little heavy handed in the way he dealt with the situation and accused him of not having anything better to do,” said Mr Taylor. “He used some racist language but he doesn’t harbour racist views.”