A MAN shouted racist abuse at a shop assistant when she refused to give him a refund on a paddling pool he had bought the day before.

Blackburn magistrates heard Baber Ghafoor abused the assistant during a racist rant in a toy shop.

Ghafoor, 41, of Sandwich Close, Blackburn, pleaded guilty to racially aggravated threatening behaviour towards Hazel Pilkington.

He was made subject to a community order for 12 months with 60 hours’ unpaid work and ordered to pay £200 compensation and £85 costs.

Andy Robinson, prosecuting, said the incident happened in The Entertainer on King William Street in Blackburn.

Ghafoor had bought the paddling pool the day before and had gone in to ask for a refund.

“The assistant declined, in line with customer policy, because it had been taken out of the box,” said Mr Robinson.

“That seemed to anger the defendant who accused the assistant of being racist before shouting racist abuse at her. A male customer intervened and he was also abused.”

Natalie McKenzie, defending, said Ghafoor had bought the paddling pool for his three-year-old daughter but when he took it home his wife said it was the wrong one.

“His daughter had removed the Sellotape but they hadn’t taken the pool out of the box and he was trying to explain that to the shop assistant,” said Miss McKenzie.

“He became increasingly frustrated and ended up using language he would not normally use.”