A pensioner launched into a tirade of racial abuse inside a Jobcentre after being told he did not qualify for benefits.

Martin Marsh’s outburst at the Folkestone branch was so harrowing an employee was forced to move branches after suffering stress-related shingles.

Marsh, who lives in the town, began by rambling about how he thought the number of cubicles was down to “the amount of immigrants that cross the channel”.

The 66-year-old then blathered about people arriving in the UK in small boats after work coach Edward Young explained he did not qualify for certain benefits.

He then addressed Mr Young directly and used threatening language before levelling a racist insult during the ordeal in August last year.

When staff approached Marsh to eject him from the premises he swore at them repeatedly.

Mr Young contacted the police, who arrested Marsh, of Longhorne Gardens, and charged him with racially aggravated harassment.

Marsh appeared at Folkestone Magistrates’ Court on August 24 where Mr Young’s victim impact statement was read out.

“This experience left me extremely enraged. I feel unfairly treated,” wrote Mr Young.

“I go out of my way to treat everyone fairly but I have been treated poorly as a person of colour and especially as a black man.

“I now feel extremely anxious and have changed the location of where I work because of this.”

It was also revealed during the hearing that the Jobcentre employee is now suffering from stress-induced shingles as a result of the incident.

Marsh pleaded guilty to using threatening behaviour likely to cause distress and racially aggravated harassment at an early opportunity on May 5 at the same court.

Marsh reappeared at Folkestone Magistrates’ Court on August 24 where he was told he would not be sent to prison because of his circumstances.

Defending, Marsh’s lawyer said since September last year he had suffered an extremely serious case of heart failure and lost his home.

Since his release from hospital the pensioner has been living in temporary accommodation, the court heard.

His lawyer told the court: “He is not abusing drugs or alcohol any longer, he can’t as he has harmed himself enough already.”

Marsh was handed down a six week prison sentence suspended for 12 months.

But he was told he would not have to pay compensation to his victim as it was not deemed appropriate in this case but would have to pay £85 in Crown Prosecution Service costs and an £154 victim surcharge.