A civic leader has condemned as outrageous a racist attack on a group of elderly Sikh war veterans in Sussex.

The visitors were enjoying a day out in Worthing with their wives when they were verbally abused by a white man on the promenade.

The scenes were caught on camera by a Channel 4 film crew and broadcast on Wednesday evening in a programme called Pukka Tales.

Viewers witnessed the Second World War veterans, all wearing their medals and blue turbans, being harangued by a middle-aged man who claimed he had served in the British Army.

They refused to respond, and despite their ordeal were later filmed raising their glasses on the beach in a toast to the Queen.

Thousands of Sikhs served and died alongside the British during the war, mainly in the jungles of Burma fighting the Japanese.

They were part of General Slim's 14th "Forgotten" Army which halted the Japanese invasion of India.

Councillor Brian Lynn, Conservative leader of Worthing Borough Council, said the incident, shown to a backdrop of Heene Terrace and the pier, was outrageous.

He said: "I hope it is an isolated incident involving just one person and not typical of the people of this town. We very much value what the Sikhs did during the war.

"My father was out in the Far East and fought alongside many of them and they were very courageous."

A police spokesman said unless there was a complaint from the victims, there was little they could do.