Prosecutions of racist incidents have leapt by eight per cent in Sussex, it was announced today.

The county's chief prosecutor, Alison Saunders, said there had also been an increase in the proportion of people convicted to those accused.

In the year up to March 2002, 88 per cent of people charged with racial offences either pleaded guilty or were convicted.

A typical case was that of mother-of-two Jayne Haycocks, who racially abused and assaulted an assistant in a Burger King restaurant in Hove.

Haycocks, 28, of Tavistock Down, Moulsecoomb, Brighton, was asked to stop smoking by Usham Bastawi in March last year.

She admitted hitting him but denied using racist language. However, in May, a jury at Hove Crown Court found her guilty of aggravated racial assault.

Mrs Saunders said: "This report shows we are getting significantly better at dealing with cases involving racist incidents.

"Racism has no place in a civilised society and cases will be prosecuted vigorously."

A total of 44 defendants were referred to the Crown Prosecution Service during the year, with prosecutions brought against 36 people on 58 charges.

In 72 per cent of cases, guilty pleas were entered while 16 per cent were convicted by the court.