A GREAT Harwood teenager shouted "Iraqis die" seconds before throwing a brick into a Blackburn taxi office.

Blackburn magistrates heard that Terry Sowerbutts then threw bricks and other missiles at a taxi, causing, £200 worth of damage, before shouting "Job done" and running off.

Sowerbutts, 18, of Fielding Lane, Great Harwood, pleaded guilty to racially aggravated criminal damage.

He was given a conditional discharge for six months and ordered to pay £200 compensation and £65 costs.

Tom Snape, prosecuting, said Sowerbutts had gone into the taxi office late at night and was quite clearly drunk. He was told he was too drunk to be allowed to take a taxi and asked to leave the office.

The police were called after the attack on the office and the car outside and as the officers were taking details Sowerbutts was seen going past in another taxi.

That car was flagged down and Sowerbutts was arrested after a brief chase.

When he was interviewed Sowerbutts said he had intended the first brick to hit a member of staff. He denied making the racist remarks.

Basharat Ditta, defending, said Sowerbutts had no previous convictions and as well as losing his good name had lost his job at Great Harwood Food Products as a result of the incident.

He said Sowerbutts had been drinking but there had been no problems with his behaviour until he was told he was too drunk to take a taxi.

"He was forcibly removed from the taxi office and accepts that he responded by throwing the bricks," said Mr Ditta.

"As he told the police he couldn't believe he would use the kind of racist words attributed to him."