A MAN and a woman racially abused a café worker in a foul-mouthed tirade when they were challenged for not wearing a face mask.

The pair also pushed a table towards the worker during the incident at Priory Park Cafeteria.

During the incident, Joo Ko the owner of Priory Park Café, in Southend, says she was also grabbed by one of the pair as the row broke out.

Police are now investigating, and are appealing for witnesses to come forward, following the incident on November 10, at 12.50pm.

The couple entered the café without face masks and when asked to wait outside, they began shouting and swearing and the woman pushed a table towards the victim.

Joo said: “We were just trying to help after they asked for the water for the dog but I told them to wait outside because they didn’t have masks on.

“They then started shouting and swearing saying we were taking too long. It takes a while to fill it up.

“They then came in the café and into the kitchen and one of them grabbed me and throw a table at me and said: ‘Go back to your country’.

“I am British, but I am from Korea. But me and my staff are very upset. The customers were upset too.

“He was trying to come into the kitchen without his mask on.

“We couldn’t work properly for three hours as my staff were so shaken.”

The man and woman were not paying customers and had just approached the café for water for their dog.

The woman is described as white, aged between 30 and 40, and about 5ft 5ins tall.

She had long blonde hair and wore a black jacket, skinny dark coloured trousers or jeans, and black boots.

The man was described as white, aged in his 40s, with short hair. He was dressed in dark coloured clothing.

The dog with them was golden brown or light tanned in colour.

Witnesses or anyone with information are asked to contact the Southend community policing team on 101 quoting reference 42/184191/20.