A "VULNERABLE" Asian man was kicked and beaten in a racist attack, a court heard.

Drunken assailant Kyle James, aged 21, also tried to set a Staffordshire bull terrier onto him, commanding the dog to, "Kill him, kill him".

Leicester Crown Court was told the 30-year-old victim of the unprovoked attack had a pacemaker fitted when he was a teenager and suffered from fragile mental health.

James, of Russell Street, Loughborough, was jailed for two years and eight months. He admitted causing racially aggravated actual bodily harm to the victim, who suffered a bump, cuts and bruises on his head, and loose teeth.

The attack happened at 12.30am on August 3 last year, in Peel Drive, Loughborough.

A witness told police she heard James shouting racial abuse as he kicked the man on the ground.

Another witness said: "The victim was trying to show he was a British citizen by producing items from his pocket."

She told the police: "No-one deserves to be treated like that."

Janet Hall, prosecuting, said James called the victim an offensive name and told him: "You're not supposed to live in this country." He punched him in the face then kicked him when he was on the ground.

Recorder Andrew Lockhart said: "Offences like this do enormous untold damage to our multi-racial society and the message will go out from this court it won't be tolerated."

Jonathan Longman, in mitigation, said James was "genuinely remorseful and ashamed" and was "adamant" he was not a racist. He said he had given up alcohol.