POP star Cheryl Tweedy punched a female toilet attendant in the face in a row over a handful of lollipops and called her a "black bitch", a court heard yesterday.

The 20-year-old Girls Aloud singer screamed racist abuse before punching Sophie Amogbokpa, leaving for bruised for three months, the court was told.

The Tyneside-born star allegedly attacked the 39-year-old part-time law student during a night out with fellow band member Nicola Roberts at The Drink nightclub in Guildford, Surrey, where Miss Amogbokpa worked.

Kingston Crown Court heard the row began when Tweedy, who had been drinking wine and champagne, took sweets and lollies from a display in the ladies' lavatory without leaving the customary tip.

Miss Amogbokpa said the singer charged at her and shouted abuse before punching her, knocking her glasses off and leaving her left eye closed up.

Tweedy then had to be restrained by security staff.

Miss Amogbokpa told the court: "When I asked her for the money, she said, 'my father owns this place, I'm going to deal with you, I'm not going to give you any money'.

"She was very aggressive and she acted violently towards me - she grabbed those things."

She said: ''She was screaming and talking. She said, 'you black bitch' just over and over. The other girl Nicola was trying to restrain her. She was holding her and trying to calm her down."

Miss Amogbokpa, who was treated in hospital, told the court she was in pain for three to four weeks after the attack in January and could not hand her coursework in because she could not see properly.

Patricia Lees, prosecuting, said Tweedy, of Heaton, Newcastle, was part of chart-topping band Girls Aloud, created from TV show Pop Stars: The Rivals.

She said: ''The prosecution allege that part of the reason this offence occurred is no doubt because the defendant had allowed her recent success to go to her head that night, causing her to behave this way to a woman working as a lavatory attendant.''

The court heard that the word ''black'' was not mentioned in the first statement Miss Amogbokpa gave to police in the moments after the row.

Richard Matthews, defending, referred to the statement in court and pointed to numerous mentions of ''you bitch'', with no racist connotations.

The court heard that six hours after leaving hospital, Miss Amogbokpa met a tabloid journalist.

Tweedy denies racially aggravated assault occasioning actual bodily harm and assault occasioning actual bodily harm.

The case continues today.