Witness appeal after suspected hate crime in Gloucester last month

Officers investigating a suspected racially motivated incident in Gloucester last month are appealing for witnesses.

Two men have been arrested in connection with the hate crime which happened at around 11.40pm on Saturday 21 October.

It was reported that two men approached another man on the forecourt of the Esso Garage on Cheltenham Road, called him racial slurs, assaulted him and tried to provoke him.

The pair then approached a second man, damaged his vehicle by punching the windscreen and called the victim racial slurs.

The two men involved were unknown to the victims, and they fled the area prior to officers arriving.

Following enquiries two men, both aged 46 and from Gloucester, were arrested on suspicion of assault, making threats to kill and criminal damage. They have both since been released on bail with conditions while the investigation continues.

Police are now keen to hear from anyone who witnessed what happened and has not yet spoken to officers.

Anyone who has any information can report this to police online by completing the following form and quoting incident 559 of 21 October: https://www.gloucestershire.police.uk/tua/tell-us-about/cor/tell-us-about-existing-case-report/

County Hate Crime Coordinator PC Steph Lawrence said: "We have a dedicated county-wide partnership who work together to ensure we drive out hate.

"We are proud of the diverse county we live and work in, and people should be able to go about their normal day to day lives without having to live in fear of being singled out and targeted for who they are.

"Hate crimes not only have a detrimental impact on the victim, but can also have a wider impact on our local communities."

If you have been affected by crime, you can contact the local victim care team in Gloucestershire on 0808 281 0112 or you can contact them online: https://www.victimsupport.org.uk/