Officers making enquiries into a hate crime incident in Bournemouth are appealing for anyone with information to come forward.
They are particularly keen to speak to a number of specific potential witnesses they have identified through their investigation.
The victims – two black women aged in their 20s – were walking up Clarendon Road at around 1pm on Sunday 30 August 2020 when they approached a man who was sitting on a bench and appeared to be intoxicated.
As they went to cross Poole Road into Queens Road, the man from the bench came up to them, put his face into one of the women’s faces and started shouting racial abuse. The women ran across the road and the man walked off up Norwich Avenue West.
The offender is described as white, aged in his 30s and of medium height and average build. He was wearing a white and blue top and jeans.
Sergeant Gareth Bridger, of Dorset Police, said: “We take hate crime incidents such as this extremely seriously and this must have been very distressing for the two victims.
“We are determined to identify the man responsible and I am appealing for anyone with information that could assist our ongoing investigation to please come forward.
“In particular we are keen to speak to an elderly man and woman who were walking behind the victims at the time of the incident as well as a woman who was in a what was believed to be a Jeep, who shouted at man to leave the women alone.
“We are also trying to trace two men in their 20s in a grey-coloured car, possibly a Peugeot, who stopped their vehicle to ask if the victims were all right as they went up Queens Road.”
Anyone with information is asked to contact Dorset Police at www.dorset.police.uk, via email [email protected] or by calling 101, quoting occurrence number 55200130352. Alternatively, to stay 100 per cent anonymous, contact the independent charity Crimestoppers online at Crimestoppers-uk.org or call Freephone 0800 555 111.
