TWO women have admitted racial violence to a east European woman in a pub.

Durham Crown Court heard comments were made, followed by a confrontation, involving Emma Glease and Paula Dunn and a couple, including a Slovakian woman.

A glass was broken, inside the Pack Horse, in Tanfield Village, near Stanley, on July 30. The incident continued outside the pub when the couple sought sanctuary.

Glease, 20, and Dunn, 40, previously denied assault, causing actual bodily harm, involving the male member of the couple, and racially aggravated assault, relating to the woman.

The case was listed for trial yesterday, when a new charge of affray was put to the women, who pleaded guilty.

Penny Moreland, prosecuting, said: "For some reason, Mrs Glease took exception with this woman because she is of east European extraction, and assaulted her, causing injuries to her face."

Miss Moreland said both women were said to have thrown glasses at the couple outside the pub.

Lawyers for the duo asked for reports to be drawn up by the Probation Service prior to sentence.

Agreeing to their request, Recorder Howard Crowson bailed both to return for sentence in the week of September 24.

Dunn was bailed to an address in Palm Terrace, in nearby Tantobie.

But Glease's address was witheld from airing in open court, at the request of her barrister, Stephen Duffield, with the agreement of Recorder Crowson.