A man has been fined after telling a Polish police community support officer: “I thought Brexit would have sorted this out.”

The officer was upset after Robert Austin also asked her how she enjoyed living in the UK.

Austin pleaded guilty to using threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour that were racially-aggravated.

Kirklees Magistrates’ Court heard that on July 17 police were in Heckmondwike dealing with nuisance quad bike riders.

Austin’s bike was seized because it had no registration number and was not road legal.

The 28-year-old became agitated and made racially abusive comments towards the PCSO dealing with him.

Bill Astin, prosecuting, said: “The defendant smirked at her and asked: ‘How’s England treating you?’ As he was waiting for the bike to be recovered.

“He was annoyed about it being seized and again made an insulting comment about her, saying: ‘I thought Brexit would have sorted this out’.”

Austin, who was not represented, told the Huddersfield court that he worked with Polish people all day long and his bosses were Asian.

He told District Judge Michael Fanning: “I just said ‘how’s England treating you?’ In conversation. What else could I say? I was just being polite.”

Judge Fanning fined Austin, of Osborne Court in Batley, £85 and ordered him to pay £85 costs and £30 victim surcharge.