London: NRI television star Shobna Gulati has alleged that she was subjected to racial abuse by two white men in Oldham, the scene of Britain's largest race riots two years ago.

Thirty one-year-old Shobna was confronted by two white men who screamed "Paki bitch" and spat threats as she sat in a car last week, she said in a complaint to the police.

Shobna, who plays shop girl Sunita Parekh in the soap Coronation Street, was still too upset today to discuss her ordeal.

But a friend said, "She was sitting in a car at traffic lights. Two men in their 20s were mucking about beside her.

"She told me, 'they started screaming Paki bitch' and they hurled other vile abuse at her. She was shaken by it all and had no choice but to report it to the police. She made a full statement."

Victim support officials have offered her counselling and anti-racism officers at Greater Manchester Police are investigating the incident, which happened week in the Hollinwood area of Oldham where Shobna was brought up.

"We are committed to tackling hate crime and incidents of this nature will not be tolerated," a police spokesman said.

It was next to a ward contested by Nick Griffin, leader of the far-right British National Party (BNP), in this month's local elections.

Shobna had handed out leaflets in the area in 2002 against the BNP.

In 2001 Britain's biggest race riots for 15 years erupted in Oldham amid claims the BNP were fanning the flames of hate. The damage ran to more than 2 million Pounds - and resulted in 200 criminal charges.

PTI