A Muslim woman who had her veil torn from her face by a man in the street has said it has left her feeling "naked, frightened and in shock."

Rehana Sidat, of Highfields, Leicester, spoke out after the Crown Prosecution Service praised her decision to press charges against her attacker.

Stephen Ard, 29, was fined £1,000 after he pleaded guilty to racially-aggravated common assault at Leicester Magistrates' Court earlier this week.

Speaking after the hearing, Ms Sidat told the Leicester Mercury she felt justice had been done and encouraged others to stand up to racist attacks.

The 39-year-old said: "To some people the removal of a veil may be a very minor thing, but for me he may as well have touched my body.

"That is what the veil means. It is a part of me. I have been wearing it for nearly 16 years and I feel naked without it.

"He invaded my personal space, my privacy. It is not like touching my coat; it was as bad as him touching my body."

Ms Sidat was attacked as she walked to work at the Ansaar Organisation, in Melbourne Road, Highfields, at about 9.40am on October 6.

She said she had seen Ard walking towards her and, as he approached, he shouted "get that off" before ripping her veil from her face.

"My initial reaction was how dare he! and I shouted that at him," she said.

"He said 'I do dare'.

"I was quite frightened at that point that he could come back and do anything.

"I was in shock for quite a time."

Ms Sidat said that she had begun to wear the veil, or niqab , after a period of illness had sent her on a "search for hope and strength," which she later found through her faith.

She added that reporting the incident to police had been a difficult decision and during the investigation and subsequent court hearing she had felt like giving up, but she had kept going to encourage others to come forward and "not to tolerate abuse."

At the hearing the court heard Ard, of Gypsy Lane, Leicester, was "ashamed and embarrassed" about his actions and, according to his defence lawyers, was drunk at the time of the incident.

As well as the fine Ard was given a 16-week prison sentence, suspended for one year, and ordered to do 150 hours of community service.

District crown prosecutor Marguerite Lewis said: "In an act of religious hostility this defendant ripped off a woman's veil as she walked down the street.

"This caused her considerable distress and upset both at the time of the attack and afterwards.

"It is to her credit that she spoke out and we are satisfied that justice has now been done."