A MAN has been jailed for subjecting two Bradford police officers to a tirade of vile racist abuse.

John Hamilton, 54, who was visiting the city from Hull, took exception to being arrested in a park while intoxicated after the officers were called to a domestic disturbance.

Hamilton sneered at them when he was apprehended with a harmonica on him, saying they wouldn’t know what it was because it wasn’t a sitar.

On his way to Trafalgar House Police Station, he shouted ‘Let the Iranians in’ out of the police vehicle and when he got there, he asked the officers questions with very unpleasant racial overtones.

Hamilton, of Woodland Villas, Rensburg Street, Hull, had 24 previous convictions, including ten public order offences, prosecutor Benjamin Bell said.

He pleaded guilty to two offences of racially aggravated harassment, alarm or distress on May 1.

The court heard he was in breach of a four-month jail sentence, suspended for two years, imposed in Hull the previous month for a public order offence and cruelty to an animal.

Mr Bell said the latest offences took place when the police saw Hamilton in drink on Luke Road in Little Horton at 4.30pm.

When he had sobered up, he admitted being drunk and giving the two officers grief because he was ‘pi**ed up.’

Gerald Hendron, Hamilton’s barrister, said he had battled a problem with alcohol for 40 years and later apologised and fully admitted what he had done.

He was remorseful and thoroughly ashamed of himself.

He had drunk a large amount of spirits and eight cans of beer, starting at 6am that day.

Mr Hendron said Hamilton had pleaded guilty at the first opportunity and sought to make amends from the outset.

He was visiting the area from Hull to fish and to visit a woman.

Hamilton was a forklift truck driver until back problems had ended that work.

Judge Sophie McKone said the offences were committed after he had received the suspended sentence order on April 19.

Hamilton had behaved over a sustained period in the most vile and racist way with snide and offensive language. The officers were left feeling angry and upset.

Judge McKone accepted that when sober he was ashamed of his ‘awful and disgusting behaviour.’ Hamilton was jailed for six months and the four-month suspended sentence order was activated consecutively, making a ten-month term of imprisonment.