A POLICEMAN accused of making a racist comment to a colleague left her “shocked and appalled,” a court heard.

Pc David Hair, 42, of Stewards Green Road, Epping, allegedly said a fellow member of his Met Police team would “go home and cook bananas” while in a minibus in March.

Giving evidence at Westminster Magistrates’ Court yesterday, Pc Julia Dacres said: “I was sitting at the back of the bus. Everybody was sitting in the front and I heard Hair say something.

“I asked him, ‘what was that?’ and he said he was looking for something to throw at me.”

The court heard he then asked if she was going to do any overtime, to which she replied “I do overtime every day.”

“He then said: 'I didn't know if you were going to go into a little rant and say how you had to go home and cook bananas'.”

She said she had been completely “shocked and appalled” by what was said and just sank back into her seat where she remained silent for the rest of the journey.

“It was totally out of the blue,” she added. “There was no background conversation. I don't know where it came from. I thought that we got on pretty well.

“I believe that he made the comment to me because of my race.”

After the incident, Pc Dacres suffered from sleepless nights, vomiting and migraines, which a doctor told her had been brought on by stress, the court heard.

Another member of the team, Pc Kevin Hughes, 36, of Cricketers Row, Herongate, is accused of describing a group of black men as “****ing monkeys” while out on patrol.

Hair and Hughes both deny using threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour to cause another person harassment, alarm or distress.

They also deny any comments were racially motivated.

The trial continues.