A police officer sacked for a racist outburst at an Asian takeaway has been given her job back - along with £15,000.

PC Katie Barratt lost her job for making the slur after a Northumbria Police Christmas party - but a panel overturned that "unreasonable" ruling on Monday.

She can now return to the beat, and the force will have to hand her at least £15,000 in back pay, Chronicle Live reports.

Barratt and her mum wept as she was given the green light to resume her lifelong dream of being an officer.

The force fought to block her return, however, claiming her slurs could “seriously damage” the police’s reputation.

“Sadly it confirms a stereotype that is unfortunately held in some communities about the police," said the force's barrister Steven Reid.

Questions will now also be asked whether PC Barratt can and will work police Asian communities.

(Image: newcastle chronicle)

The panel heard how she'd find that hard after her picture was widely used in national media.

And even her own barrister admitted the slurs she used were an "abomination".

As shocked colleagues watched on in the Spice of Punjab, PC Barratt said:

"I wish these f****** p**** would hurry up with my pizza".

It was also claimed she had called them "n*****s, something PC Barratt never denied.

But her barrister Guy Ladenburg said she had come from a "police family" and had a promising career before the 2017 incident.

The meeting heard staff had been buying PC Barratt drinks all night at the 2017 Christmas "jolly" but she had since addressed that.

"She’s not touched a drop of drink after this incident," said Mr Landenburg.

(Image: newcastle chronicle)

And he said she felt that she shouldn't have been sacked "because it is not the worst kind of racism".

Instead he claimed it was a one-off for which she should be given a second chance rather than the "nuclear option" of dismissal.

However Steven Reid, on behalf of the police, states the force felt no racism from an officer - on or off-duty - was ever acceptable.

“The appellant didn’t go out that night to deliberately racially abuse members of the public," he stated.

“But the fact remains she did.”

PC Barratt accepted “it was only luck” nobody else bar her colleagues heard her slurs, adding: “She knew she was being racist”.

“Her prejudice on that evening leaked out.”

The three-person panel downgraded her punishment to a final warning after two hours of deliberations.

The panel's chair Dorian Lovell-Park said it "roundly condemned" her comments - but then wished her luck with resuming her career.

Detective Superintendent Sav Patsalos, head of Northumbria Police’s professional standards department, said: “We acknowledge the decision of the independent panel and will now take some time to review its findings.

“It is important to recognise that the decision to dismiss PC Barratt was taken by an independent panel and it was within the officer’s rights to appeal this decision.

“A second independent panel has today overturned the decision to dismiss the officer but they agreed the language she used was unacceptable and agreed with the finding of gross misconduct.

“This was recognised by a colleague who rightly came forward to report the comments and this reflects the culture within the Force where people have the confidence to speak up and challenge this kind of behaviour.

“We expect officers and staff to maintain the highest levels of professionalism at all times and I want to assure the public that we are committed to taking positive action when individuals fall below the expected standards of behaviour.”