Forensic analysis of spit launched at a bus driver has seen a teenager handed a community service order.

Khalid Farah was driving the N87 night bus through Burlington Road in New Malden on October 13, last year when four "boisterous" males boarded his bus and began shouting and swearing.

When one of the men was unable to pay his oyster fare, Jay Beer of David Twigg Close in Kingston, became aggressive and started repeatedly shouting and swearing at Mr Farah accusing him of being a Somali refugee, telling him to go back to his own country and that he should be "locked up".

Beer then spat twice on the windscreen of the bus as the group got off the bus.

Mr Farah reported the incident to the police who were able to identify Beer through forensic examination of the saliva left on the windscreen.

In his statement to the police Mr Farah said the men had showed "no manners" and he felt they were trying to intimidate him.

Beer accepted he had spat at the bus and had used bad language but did not accept he had racially abused the bus driver.

The 18-year-old was found guilty of one charge of racially aggravated harassment following a trial and was sentenced at Wimbledon Magistrates court on January 4.

He was ordered to carry out 120 hours of unpaid community service over a one year period and pay £100 compensation to Mr Farah.