THE front window of a takeaway owned by an Iranian man was broken in an attack that appears to be racially motivated.

A man started banging on the window of KPC takeaway, in Front Street, Leadgate, County Dur-ham, at about 9pm on Tuesday with a child's toy hammer.

He was shouting racial abuse at the owner and his staff, telling them to "get back to your own country".

The man, who was bare-chested, then entered the shop, and when the owner, who is in his 40s, tried to evict him, he was hit several times with the plastic hammer.

The man left, returned shortly after and tried unsuccessfully to break the glass with a stick.

He fled and returned a third time, while police were searching the area around the shop for him.

This time he wore a T-shirt with black and white hoops and he carried a metal hammer, which he used to smash the front window of the takeaway and the glass covering the salad bar inside.

He stood taunting the man to come outside, and left before police returned.

The man had short brown hair, was aged 18 to 20 and was about 5ft 10in.

People with information are asked to call police.