A MAN who attempted to set light to an Indian takeaway in Basingstoke after he racially harassed a member of staff has been jailed.

Graeme Walton, formerly of Attwood Close, used a jerry can full of petrol to try and start a fire outside the Taste of India, in Burnaby Close, on September 1.

In a drunken state the 53-year-old failed to ignite the petrol, but his actions were caught on CCTV, which was shown to Winchester Crown Court on Friday.

As well as trying to start a fire Walton also racially abused member of staff Raju Kalam between August 4 and 7.

Prosecuting Robin Sellers said: “Mr Kalam arrived at his place of work to find the defendant standing outside drinking beer out a can. Mr Kalam asked him to leave.”

The court was told that Walton then racially abused the victim by "degrading his origin", which he repeated a number of times.

Later that month, on August 24, he also racially attacked the owner of Premier Stores, in Burnaby Close, Kamarjeet Sethi.

“He was at work in the shop when Mr Walton was seen entering the shop on a couple of occasions. Mr Walton had already been banned from the shop,” Mr Sellers said.

Walton eventually left the shop but shouted a derogatory statement at Mr Sethi.

Judge Jane Miller QC was told that on September 1, before the attempted fire, Walton stole sweets from the same shop.

The prolific criminal was arrested after he returned to the road the following day: “He said he found the jerry can in the bushes. He knew it had petrol in it because it smelt”.

Along with theft, attempted arson, and two counts of racially aggravated harassment, he also pleaded guilty to assaulting an emergency worker.

On August 20 Walton had been arrested in connection with another offence when he spat a two police officers that were dealing him.

Mr Sellers said that the spit “landed on the floor just short of PC Josh Weldon’s boot”.

In mitigation Jonathan Rosen said that his client’s time in custody has given him a “short sharp shock”.

He continued: “In the cold light of sobriety Mr Walton accepts and knows exactly what he has done.

“He had recklessly consumed alcohol and drugs and put him in this position. It was his intention to clean up the mess he had made.

“This was a man who was not in control of himself that day (September 1)."

In sentencing Judge Miller said that Walton had 84 convictions for 255 offences and jailed him for 24 months.