OWNERS of a Chinese takeaway said their lives were made a misery by racial harassment from a 14-year-old boy.

Zack and Linda Chan said they have quit Chan's Chinese and fish and chip shop in North Prospect due to the trouble.

They had run the business for 18 years.

Mrs Chan, aged 47, told The Herald that there were times they were too scared to step outside their own front door.

She spoke after the sentencing at Plymouth Youth Court of a teenager found guilty of two counts of racial harassment at the takeaway.

A further charge of assault on a child at school by twisting his nipple, to which the teenager had pleaded guilty, was taken into account.

The boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was given an 18-month supervision order and three-month curfew with electronic tagging.

Mrs Chan said the sentence was disappointing after the misery her family was put through.

She said: "He had been the bane of our lives for a long time.

"It was dreadful and it was impossible for us to stay in that shop.

"Our lives were made a misery. We felt sick to our stomachs every day and didn't even want to walk out the front door.

"We lived above the premises for three years. We've got two boys and even asking them to go up the road for a pint of milk was a no go."

At a trial earlier this month Mr Chan, aged 45, told the court: "I am so scared of him. I closed my business because of him. He always gave us so much trouble."

He said that he was in the takeaway at about 9pm on July 27 when he saw the boy and two friends outside.

Mr Chan added: "He pulled back his eyes to make slits and stuck out his tongue."

He said that the boy then racially abused him in an incident which lasted about 15 seconds. Mr Chan said that the next day the boy spat on the soft drinks fridge through the open door of the counter area.

The boy denied the charges but the bench found him guilty after a short trial.

Sentencing had been adjourned for the Youth Offending Team to prepare a report into his background.

Defence solicitor Tony Daniel yesterday said the boy has learning difficulties and something "has to be done to help him".

The court heard that he has previous convictions including assaulting a younger boy and breaking his jaw.

Mr and Mrs Chan, who live in Plymouth, have now retired.

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