A business class passenger allegedly racially abused a flight attendant on board a British Airways flight, demanding that he be served by a "white girl," a court has heard.

Peter Nelson, 46, became irate after being woken up by Sima Patel-Pryke while flying business class on a 11-and-a-half hour BA flight from Heathrow to Rio de Janeiro in Brazil, jurors were told.

The "red-faced" married dad-of-three allegedly said: "You Asians think you are better than us, I don't want to be served by you lot, I've paid your wages for the last 20 years."

Isleworth Crown Court heard Nelson, who lives in a £1.15 million five-bed detached house in Ascot, Berks, reduced the flight attendantto tears after he "shouted very loudly" at her and another cabin crew member, Sam Buchanan, in the jet's galley.

Nelson, who has been an external consultant for GlaxoSmithKline pharmaceutical company in the UK for nearly 20 years, allegedly "targeted" Ms Patel-Pryke before he was threatened with arrest.

Cabin crew got a restraining kit ready to use on him, the jury was told.