A DRUNKEN teenager who hurled racist abuse at staff at a Helensburgh restaurant last summer has been praised for turning her life around.

The 17-year-old, who can’t be named because of her age, accused an employee at the Flamingo takeaway in East Princes Street of being a “terrorist” during her foul-mouthed outburst in July 2017.

Almost a year on from the incident, the girl was brought back to court on Friday for a review of a community payback order which was imposed as an alternative to custody.

And the sheriff who passed sentence on her last year admitted that he was “impressed” at how the girl had behaved since the incident.

A previous court hearing, in January, was told that the teenager – who was 16 at the time of the offence – had turned to alcohol earlier that year following the death of a close family member.

At that hearing, the court was told the girl had called a staff member at the takeaway a “P*** b******”, and that when police arrived to deal with the incident, she had shouted at them “I hope youse both die in your sleep, you c****”, and “I’ll f****** kill youse c****”.

The girl admitted charges of acting in a racially-aggravated manner towards a staff member at the business in the early hours of July 16, 2017.

The teen also pleaded guilty to shouting, swearing, acting aggressively, uttering grossly offensive remarks and threatening violence towards police at the scene, at Clydebank police office and on the journey between Helensburgh and Clydebank.

Two further charges, of attempting to bite one police officer and trying to kick another, were also admitted.

Passing sentence in January, Sheriff William Gallacher placed the girl, who lives in Dumbarton, under social workers’ supervision for 18 months – and told her that had she been older, it was exactly the sort of behaviour that would have earned her a prison sentence.

But at Friday’s hearing to review the girl’s progress, Sheriff Gallacher – who had previously described her behaviour as “hideous” and “among the worst I have heard in court” – was told she had not been in any further trouble since the incident.

Defence lawyer Kenny McGowan told the court: “The word ‘excellent’ would describe the progress report before the court today.

“She is now in employment and has her own tenancy.”

Sheriff Gallacher said: “I’m impressed and I am not going to fix another review of your community payback order.

“What I am going to do is reduce the CPO from 18 months to 12 months to mark how well you have done.

“Continue what you are doing.”