A mother who shouted racist abuse at a shopkeeper for 20 minutes and threatened to have him beaten up has been spared a jail sentence.

Tracey Immerson, 37, of Hangleton Way, Hove, admitted a charge of racially aggravated harassment, alarm or distress.

Lewes Crown Court heard she was drunk when she went to a convenience store in Boundary Road, Hove, at 3am on September 29 last year, looking for a lost mobile phone.

She shouted racial abuse at store manager Ahmad Shabbir for 20 minutes until the police arrived.

Immerson, who works part-time at a casino, was sentenced to four months jail suspended for 12 months.

Judge Anthony Niblett said he was suspending the sentence because she had no previous convictions and he accepted she had acted out of character.

He told her: "This was a very unpleasant incident in which you subjected the store manager to appalling racist abuse.

"He is clearly a hard-working man who is serving the community by keeping a local convenience store open late at night. He did not deserve in any way to be subjected to abuse."

Iain O'Donnell, prosecuting, said Immerson went to the shop looking for a friend's phone.

Staff found it but Immerson became abusive because the Sim card was missing.

She racially abused Mr Shabbir and told him: "I will get big boys to beat you up."

Mr Shabbir tried to telephone the police but Immerson put down the receiver. He then pressed the store's panic button.

When police arrived she continued to shout abuse.

The court heard she was arrested and also charged with drink driving. A test showed 91mg of alcohol in 100ml of breath. The legal limit is 35mg. She has been convicted of the offence and is due to appear before Brighton magistrates on February 24 for sentence.

Tim Bergin, defending, said Immerson had been depressed because of family problems and had apologised for her behaviour.

He said: "She behaved in an irrational way for a lady who has never regarded herself as a racist. She has friends and works with people who are black.

"That is why it was such a shock to her that the drink made her behave in the way she did. She is no longer using alcohol."

Immerson was also ordered to pay £178 costs.