Asian family racially abused by teenage girls

6:38pm Friday 8th August 2008

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A gang of 13-year-old girls subjected an Asian family to a torrent of racial abuse before pulling a religious head scarf off one of the children and slapping her in the face.

The family were enjoying a barbecue in Laleham Park, Staines, when they were approached by a group of five teenage girls who began shouting racist abuse at them last Saturday.

Two of the youngsters then approached one of the family’s children, a 14-year-old girl, and pulled off her religious head scarf before slapping her in the face several times.

Detective Constable Nick Beer, who is leading the investigation, said: “This was a shocking and cowardly offence against a family who were simply trying to enjoy a Saturday afternoon in the park.

“The offenders who committed this completely mindless attack seem to have been motivated by nothing other than the race of the victims and that is very saddening.”

After the assault, which happened between 5pm and 5.10pm, the girls continued to walk around the group shouting racist abuse before fleeing into a forest at the back of the park when they discovered the police had been called.

The girls are described as white, 13 years old and were wearing shorts.

One of them had ginger hair and another was wearing a top with green dots on it.

Anyone with information should contact Det Con Beer at Staines CID on 0845 125 2222, quoting reference SL/08/3417.

Alternatively call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.