A MAN who underwent a personality change after a serious assault racially abused the owners of a Kidderminster fish and chip shop for 15 minutes, a court heard.

Eric Shepherd made suggestive remarks after buying a portion of chicken, then began complaining and demanding to see the manager.

Asked by Barvinder Singh to leave the Habberley Fish Bar, he told him to leave Britain and threatened to smash his face in, said prosecutor Malcolm Parkes.

Shepherd directed a torrent of abuse at Mr Singh and his wife which shocked other customers.

When police arrested him at the scene, he began abusing a Scottish policeman in similar fashion, Worcester Crown Court was told.

Shepherd, 42, of Bewdley Road, Kidderminster, pleaded guilty to causing racially aggravated fear of violence and was given a two-year conditional discharge.

He was immediately arrested at court and held in custody for non-payment of outstanding fines totalling over £200.

Judge Ian Morris accepted that at the time of the offence Shepherd had failed to take medication for controlling his mood swings.

But he pointed out that the Singh family were perfectly decent, law-abiding people, unlike the defendant who had a 23-year criminal record.

The judge suggested he examine his atittude towards ethnic minorities after his "very unpleasant" remarks and should write the victims a letter of apology.

Mr Parkes revealed that father-of-two Shepherd had four convictions for drink-driving and was banned in 1998 for 10 years. He had also served jail terms for violence.

Shepherd was badly injured 12 years ago in an attack and had suffered mental health problems ever since, said Simon Gerrish, defending.

He had been on a cocktail of medication but stopped taking it on October 3 last year and drank alcohol before his insults.

He was registered disabled and on invalidity benefit.