A MAN convicted of racially-aggravated assault has been allowed to keep his job at Bolton at Home.

Steven Egerton, aged 35, dragged an Asian medical student through a car window, hitting him in the face.

Egerton narrowly escaped jail at Bolton Crown Court yesterday after pleading guilty to assaulting the man in a road rage incident and racially insulting him.

Despite having a criminal record for assault, the court was told that Egerton had been allowed to keep his job at Bolton at Home, the organisation which manages council homes in the borough.

Judge Derwin Hope sentenced Egerton, of Rostherne Gardens, Bolton, to 200 hours community punishment and ordered him to pay £400 compensation to the victim.

Judge Hope described the incident as "very nasty" and that usually a crime that was racially aggravated would mean a prison sentence.

The court heard that Mohammed Atcha, who was in Bolton on vacation from his medical course at Edinburgh University, was driving with his father along Willows Lane, Bolton.

Egerton, driving a grey van, came out of Melbourne Road, causing Mr Atcha to brake sharply.

Mr Atcha sounded his horn while Egerton made an obscene gesture.

Egerton then followed Mr Atcha in his van. When the vehicles were stopped in traffic, Egerton walked over to the car, grabbed Mr Atcha and tried to pull him through his open window, hitting him in the face in the process and making a racist comment.

After the incident, Mr Atcha took down Egerton's registration number and was treated in hospital for a swollen cheek.

The court was told Egerton had been disciplined by his employers and had been sent on an anger management course over the incident, but had been allowed to keep his job.

If he was sent to prison, he would lose his job and his home, which is provided by his employers.

Judge Hope was told Egerton was not racist and had made one racist comment "in the heat of the moment". Egerton's previous assault convictions had been some years ago.