A PASSENGER who made anti-Semitic comments on a train journey through York faces a football banning order.

Peter Cann, 65, was heading back to his Teesside home after watching Leeds United thrash Middlesbrough four-nil on November 30.

Jane Chadwick, prosecuting, told York Magistrates' Court he was among men standing in the First Class area of the 6.12pm Transpennine Express out of Leeds.

The court heard that Cann said of a woman passenger: “Get her out of the carriage, she’s a …… Jew, get her off now.”

The woman had just challenged another man near him, who had asked the onboard caterer if she was from Spain.

When she said she was Romanian, the other man said: “Watch your pockets, she’s from Romania.”

Other passengers told Cann to sit down, and he talked about “one on one” when he reached his destination.

Officers from British Transport Police were alerted and took him off the train at York.

Cann, of Baronport Green, Stockton, pleaded guilty to racial abuse.

His case was adjourned until July 31 for a pre-sentence report.

When he returns to court, the CPS will apply for him to be subject to a football banning order because the incident happened on his way home from a football match.

For him, duty solicitor Jacky East said he had behaved out of character and was not a racist.

“He remains thoroughly ashamed of his behaviour,” she said.

The airport worker, who also claims a pension, had told her he had been travelling alone and had been “somewhat fearful” of the group of men standing on the train.

He did not normally attend football matches but a friend had a spare ticket so they had gone together.

In Leeds, he had drunk five pints of lager.

He had not attended a football match since, the court was told.