MARCH mother Michelle Whittaker subjected a schoolboy to a torrent of racial abuse as he played football in a local park. She called him a nigger five times as she traded insults with the lad, leaving him angry and upset, Fenland magistrates heard on Tues

MARCH mother Michelle Whittaker subjected a schoolboy to a torrent of racial abuse as he played football in a local park.

She called him a nigger five times as she traded insults with the lad, leaving him angry and upset, Fenland magistrates heard on Tuesday.

The court also heard that Whittaker told her young son not to give the boy any sweets because he was black.

She allegedly told the boy to have a wash because he was black and "mucky", and told him go back to his black bin. She denied those allegations.

Whittaker, 20, of Robingoodfellows Lane, had previously admitted racially aggravated intentional harassment, and this week was ordered to carry out 80 hours of unpaid work and pay £43 costs.

Prosecutor John Nooijen said the boy had felt upset and degraded by the experience, and had no idea why Whittaker wanted to upset and embarrass him.

Whittaker told police that the schoolboy had called her a slag and she had called him a nigger in reply.

She had been showing off and thought the comments were funny, but later realised she had been racist and insulting.

"She accepts it was unacceptable language, and offensive," said Anita Waterman, mitigating. Whittaker did not hold entrenched racist views, she said, and in fact had a mixed race boyfriend in the past.

"She used the grossly offensive terms, not appreciating how offensive it would be," said Ms Waterman.

"She was in a bad mood and used the words to be insulting. It was a brief exchange as they swapped insults."

Presiding magistrate Jemima Cookson told Whittaker: "Society takes a very dim view of this type of offence, and this court will not tolerate this type of behaviour. From now on you will be aware of the impact such language has on an innocent victim.