Girls Aloud star Cheryl Tweedy insisted she was not a racist last night after she was found guilty of attacking a black nightclub attendant.

The 20-year-old said she was stunned and disappointed after a jury at Kingston Crown Court found her guilty of assault occasioning actual bodily harm.

But the singer, of Heaton, Newcastle, said she was pleased that she had been cleared of another charge of racially aggravated assault occasioning actual bodily harm.

Judge Richard Haworth sentenced Tweedy to 120 hours community service and ordered her to pay £500 compensation to victim Sophie Amogbokpa and £3,000 prosecution costs.

The judge said it was an unpleasant piece of drunken violence and that Tweedy had shown no remorse whatsoever.

After sentencing, the pop star stood outside court with her mother and tour manager while her solicitor, Paul Harris, read out a statement on her behalf.

In it, she said she was "thankful that the jury had accepted that this incident has nothing to do with race".

The dark-haired star said: "I am not a racist and anyone who knows me knows I would not say anything racist."

She added: "I would like to thank my family, friends and fans for their support over this difficult year."

Tweedy punched part-time law student Ms Amogbokpa, 39, in a row over a handful of lollipops in the lavatory of The Drink Nightclub, in Guildford, Surrey, in January.

Ms Amogbokpa was left with a black eye and bruising.

Judge Haworth told Tweedy: "This was an unpleasant piece of drunken violence which caused Sophie Amogbokpa pain and suffering. Her eye was painful for three or four weeks, there was bruising for three months and for a while she had blurred vision. You showed no remorse whatsoever."

He sentenced her to community service after receiving a probation report saying she was unlikely to reoffend. He said he had taken in to account her previous good character.