THE brother of a Bradford mum who committed suicide in a supermarket was "stunned" to learn that a man charged with making racial comments about the death on his Facebook page had walked free.

Imtiaz Ali told of his upset after being told the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) had dropped charges against food shop worker Daniel Johnson.

Mr Johnson, 28, of Valley View, Baildon, had denied causing racially aggravated harassment, alarm or distress by using threatening or abusive words on Facebook on March 25 this year.

He was alleged to have posted the comments on the social media site after Sobia Yousef stabbed herself in the neck in front of shoppers and staff at the Asda store in Shipley on March 25.

Police investigated the comments after a member of the public in Bradford made an official complaint. Mr Johnson was removed from his job at Fultons Food in Shipley when his employers were made aware of the posts.

Mr Johnson told police that family and friends should have been the only people with access to his site.

The post attributed to Mr Johnson made racial comments, mocked Mrs Yousef 's death and claimed the closure of Asda in the hours following had been good for Fultons, which is only a few minutes' walk from the supermarket.

It said: "Should make my sales target this week! Haha." The post goes on to say a "nice bonus" would follow because of the shop's increased business.

The Asda store, less than a quarter of a mile from Fulton Foods, was closed in the aftermath of Mrs Yousef's death.

On the charges being dropped, Mr Ali said: "I am stunned - I am really shocked to hear this because there was a big furore about it at the time.

"It is distressing, but there is nothing we can do. There was no need for what he did - but he did what he did. You get people like this in society but there is nothing you can do about it.

"I have no anger towards him.

"Sometimes people say something then they regret saying it. My sister is not going to come back because of him. He had nothing to do with it.

"He communicated on Facebook and it was not nice what he said, but there is nothing we can do about it.

"At least he could have apologised for what he said. We have had nothing at all.

"I had a phone conversation with the Fultons head office and they apologised and wrote a lengthy letter."

A spokesman for the CPS said: "This case was discontinued as the only witness was unwilling to attend court and give evidence. In certain circumstances the CPS can compel witnesses to attend court; but in this case it was decided that this would not be an appropriate course of action, and so the case was discontinued."

Johnson's case was listed at Bradford and Keighley Magistrates Court in April, June and August this year, but was adjourned on each occasion before being discontinued by the Crown Prosecution Service on September 15.

A spokesman for Fulton Foods said the company would have no comment to make on the matter.

On life without Mrs Yousef, Mr Ali said: "The pain is still there. When you look at the kids - their lives have been destroyed."

The T&A was unable to contact Mr Johnson for a comment.