Drunken abuse of bouncer led to 999 call

Emergency services were called when a woman scuffled with a bouncer after an evening drinking champagne at Fortnum and Mason.

Holly Mercer, 20, "lost control" after she was wrongly accused of stealing a wallet and subjected doorman Jean Luc Abenou to a barrage of racist abuse.

She was spared a jail sentence at Southwark crown court last week after she admitted racially aggravated harassment.

Prosecutor Martin Whitehouse said Mercer had spent the night of April 13 drinking at a number of bars in Piccadilly. She later headed to the Ku bar in Soho, where she turned on Mr Abenou after she was wrongly accused of stealing.

Speaking after the case, Mercer said: "I know I didn't behave well I'm only 5ft 2in and I was drunk. I was struggling because I felt really threatened and panicked. I was in a hostile environment and I shouted back."

Mercer, of Aldwych, denied three further charges of racially aggravated assault, which were left to lie on the file. The judge gave her a 12-month community order and told her to carry out 150 hours of unpaid work and pay £150 costs.