Shop vandalism a hate crime say police

Mindless thugs smashed a Mansfield mobile phone repair shop window with a hammer and daubed it with an obscene racist slogan.
Phone Corner in Mansfield Market Square was atacked by racist vandalsPhone Corner in Mansfield Market Square was atacked by racist vandals
Phone Corner in Mansfield Market Square was atacked by racist vandals

Police are investigating two attacks on Phone Corner repair centre on Market Place, which they say have been classed as a hate crime.

Between Saturday night and Monday morning a white slogan was painted on the window and on Tuesday morning the owners arrived at work to find the window had been smashed and white paint poured into the shop.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Shop manager Povanjit Singh Sethi, a Sikh, described the incident as a hate crime. The slogan referred to terrorism.

He said: “I came in to work this morning and I thought, what the heck has happened?.

“We watched the CCTV of what happened – someone came, waited a few minutes and then poured paint over the window.

“Then they picked a bag up, took a hammer out and smashed the window. It was all over in a minute.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“We haven’t had any disputes with customers so I can only think the motive was racist.

“I can’t say anything about whoever has done this or why. It is such a stupid thing to do.”

Mr Sethi thanked local market traders who came to help when the vandalism was discovered and members of Mansfield BID who helped clean up the paint with a jet wash. Dave Wilson, business crime manager at Mansfield BID said: “Attacks like this on businesses particularly with a racist motive are deplorable – we will give as much support as we can.”

Related topics: