A West Wickham security guard was forced to endure a tirade of racist abuse from a woman who told him to “go back to Africa.”

A woman launched a vicious attack on the staff member at the Station Road branch of Sainsbury’s in West Wickham on Thursday evening shortly after 6pm after she was accused of shoplifting.

The woman, who had short blonde hair and was wearing a tracksuit, called the security guard a “gorilla” and told him to go back to his own country.

Gesturing in his face, the woman shouted: “Do you know where you are?” before calling him a “tw*t” and folding her arms.

Horrified shoppers and staff looked on as the security guard calmly explained he wanted her to wait for a manager to arrive.

As the woman’s behaviour became more aggressive, the security guard was forced to let her leave the supermarket before a manager arrived.

A Met Police spokeswoman confirmed the incident had not been reported to officers.

News Shopper has contacted Sainsbury's for comment.