FOUR women "took over" a fast-food restaurant in a late-night drunken orgy of violence, a court heard.

Without warning, the group, who had been on a night out, began damaging property in a McDonald's restaurant, while a customer was struck with his own mobile phone.

Durham Crown Court was told an off-duty manager intervened to try to calm the situation, but was assaulted by several of the women, and his staff locked themselves in a rear office.

Tim Parkin, prosecuting, said the incident began shortly after the women entered the restaurant, on Sunderland's Roker Retail Park, at about 11.15pm, on March 29, last year.

Instigator Kelly Connolly, said to be high on drink and temazapam, started shouting at staff, before pushing cash tills off the counter, while a floor cone was thrown across the restaurant.

Connolly took a customer's mobile phone and struck him with it, while an off-duty assistant manager, who was having a meal, was set upon and knocked to the floor when he tried to intervene.

After the rest of the staff fled to the manager's office the women left, although Connolly returned to collect her coat.

Mr Parkin said the whole incident was caught on closed-circuit television, which was played to the court, yesterday.

Connolly, 27, of Thompson Road, Southwick, Isobelle Stephenson, 42, of Northwood Court, Monkwearmouth, and Suzanne Hume, 25, of Chestnut Crescent, Marley Pots, all Sunderland, each admitted affray.

Margaret Pemberton, 39, of Marley Crescent, Marley Pots, admitted using threatening words and behaviour.

Connolly, who also admitted criminal damage, and Stephenson were each given six-month prison sentences suspended for a year. Pemberton and Hume were conditionally discharged for 12 months, but warned about their future behaviour.