A 20-year-old man, who screamed racist abuse at a stranger before smashing the window of a mosque in the town centre, has been sentenced.

Nathan Hancox, of Thynne Street, was handed a six week curfew after pleading guilty to racially aggravated criminal damage on the mosque on Arpley Street. 

The court heard how a taxi driver from Warrington was making his way to the mosque on July 7 at 11.30pm when he came across Hancox and a teenager, who cannot be named for legal reasons, by chance.

Both Hancox and his friend launched an unprovoked verbal attack on the victim, using racist slurs and abusive threats.

The victim tried escape the two defendants by entering the mosque but Hancox, who has no previous convictions, grabbed a large piece of wood and hurled it at the mosque window.

Residents were inside the address at the time of the attack although there were no injuries.

It was later discovered the incident had been caught on CCTV and, following an appeal by the Warrington Guardian, Hancox and the teen were arrested and charged. 

The two defendants, who turned up late to the hearing after getting lost while trying to make their way from the train station to the court, originally denied that the attack was racially motivated but on the day of the trial pleaded guilty to the charges. 

Defending, Nigel Beeson, said both offenders had admitted to drinking alcohol prior to the incident.

He said: "One described himself as tipsy while the other said he was eight out of 10 in terms of how drunk he was.

"This may explain but not excuse their behaviour."

Chairman of the magistrates, Alan Eyers, questioned the teenager during the hearing about the motive behind the attack.

The teen said: "We were just in a bad situation and it got out of hand.

"I do not feel good about it."

The teen, who pleaded guilty to racially aggravated intentional harassment, was handed a six month referral at Halton Magistrates Court on Thursday. 

Hancox was handed a curfew from 6pm to 6am for six weeks and was ordered to pay £100 in compensation to the mosque and a £60 victim surcharge.