A MAN has been jailed and banned from the town for a hate crime after racially abusing a community worker in a shopping centre.

Stuart Durkin, 56, of Sutton Road, Southend, was visiting the community hub in the Victoria Plaza shopping centre. The hub, operated by the council, offers residents a place where they can get advice and support on a wide range of social issues including housing.

He had gone to the office without an appointment on February 8 but became abusive when he was told he didn’t have the necessary paperwork for employees to help him.

Sgt David Gardiner from the Southend Community Policing Team said: “When the team were unable to help him, Durkin became verbally abusive, telling a member of staff to ‘go back to her own country’ and banging on the windows of the office.

"This kind of behaviour will not be tolerated in Southend. “

Durkin was arrested and charged with causing threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour to cause harassment, alarm or distress.

He appeared at Southend Magistrates’ Court on February 10.

He pleaded guilty and was remanded in custody to appear at the same court on February 21 for sentencing.

Following an application by Essex Police in partnership with Southend Borough Council, Durkin was made the subject of a two-year Criminal Behaviour Order preventing him from entering the Southend borough.

He was also sentenced to two months’ imprisonment, made the subject of a 12-month restraining order and ordered to pay a £115 victim surcharge.

Southend’s Temporary Inspector Ian Hughes said: “Both Southend Police and South Essex Homes worked closely to ensure that this individual received a suitable punishment for a nasty unprovoked attack.

“Hate crime will not be tolerated and the two-month custodial sentence reflects this.”

Durkin, who had only been in Southend for a matter of weeks, must not enter the borough of Southend for two years.

His housing provider, which was a London council, has cancelled his tenancy in Sutton Road, and will provide him accommodation elsewhere when he is released from prison.

T/Insp Hughes added: “Additionally Durkin received a two-year Criminal Behaviour Order banning him from Southend which further safeguards our community.

"The ability to exclude individuals from Southend is a great example of partnership working.”