Muslim butchers firebombed amid explosion in racist crimes following Brexit vote

A HALAL butchers was destroyed when a petrol bomb was thrown into the store – the latest in the spate of hate crimes since the EU referendum vote.

By Patrick Knox

FIREBOMBED: A possible racist attack on a Muslim business in Walsall

Police say a 6ft-tall white man, who was wearing a blue jacket, walked into the halal butchers and threw a lit bottle of accelerant.

Luckily, a worker in the store managed to escape with just bruises after the shocking firebomb attack.

But dramatic pictures show how the butchers was left completely gutted after the blaze, with the front windows blown out and the walls covered in black soot.

This follows a huge jump in the number of reported racism incidents following Friday's vote – so serious it has been condemed by the United Nations.

Figures show an increase of 57% in reported incidents between Thursday and Sunday compared with the same days four weeks earlier, the National Police Chiefs’ Council revealed.

GUTTED: The little family business has been destroyed

Police said offensive leaflets targeting Poles and graffiti had been daubed on a Polish cultural centre in London on Sunday.

Meanwhile Islamic groups have reported a sharp rise in incidents against Muslims.

The horrific attack was on Kashmir Meat & Poultry in Pleck, Walsall, West Mids, at 5.25pm yesterday.

West Midlands Police said they are keeping an open mind over the motive of the attack at the butchers.

But locals living in the area said they were in no doubt the attack was related to Brexit as tensions were currently "running high in the community."

SHOCKWAVES: People living in Walsall there is tension in the community

Mary Walker, 67, from Pleck, said tensions in the community had been heightened since Britain voted to leave the European Union last Thursday.

She added: "It isn't the nicest area around here and it does attract people with far-right views.

"I have overheard people making comments to Eastern European residents and Muslims that they should go home now.

"It is a disgrace that these thugs are trying to intimidate people like this and think it is the best way to get what they want.

"Just because we voted to leave the EU it doesn't mean we should only be a country of white Brits.

"I am sure it will be related to the referendum result, I have no doubt.

"This poor butcher works hard for a living, which I bet is more than you can say for the idiot who did this."

A spokesperson for the force said the incident is being investigated by officers, who are currently making inquiries and examining CCTV footage.

Detective Inspector Greg Evans added: "The inquiry is at an early stage and I am keeping an open mind as to the motive.

"The man was not seriously injured but it could have been much more serious.

"I am appealing for anyone with information or anyone who saw what happened to call police on 101 or the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111."

In utter shock: just been called p**i in my home town! Haven't heard that word here since the 80s..!

— Sima Kotecha (@sima_kotecha) 27 June 2016

Elswhere, police have launched an investigation after a man used the racist term "p**is" during an interview with a BBC radio presenter.

Sima Kotecha had returned to her home town of Basingstoke, Hampshire, for the Radio 4 Today programme to ask voters why the town backed Brexit during the EU referendum by 52%.

In her report, a man said to her: "I think all the immigrants, they should leave the country, you know what I mean?"

When Ms Kotecha asked him if he was referring to eastern Europeans living in Britain, he replied: "Yeah, like, I'm not saying p**is ... I'm saying, like, all of them."