English Defence League: Inside the violent world of Britain's new far right

Undercover Guardian investigation reveals plan by English Defence League to hit racially sensitive areas in attempt to provoke disorder over summer

MPs expressed concern tonight after it emerged that far-right activists are planning to step up their provocative street campaign by targeting some of the UK's highest-profile Muslim communities, raising fears of widespread unrest this summer.

Undercover footage shot by the Guardian reveals the English Defence League, which has staged a number of violent protests in towns and cities across the country this year, is planning to "hit" Bradford and the London borough of Tower Hamlets as it intensifies its street protests.

Senior figures in the coalition government were briefed on the threat posed by EDL marches this week. Tomorrow up to 2,000 EDL supporters are expected to descend on Newcastle for its latest protest.

MPs said the group's decision to target some of the UK's most prominent Muslim communities was a blatant attempt to provoke mayhem and disorder. "This group has no positive agenda," said the Bradford South MP, Gerry Sutcliffe. "It is an agenda of hate that is designed to divide people and communities. We support legitimate protest but this is not legitimate, it is designed to stir up trouble. The people of Bradford will want no part of it."
The English Defence League, which started in Luton last year, has become the most significant far-right street movement in the UK since the National Front in the 1970s. A Guardian investigation has identified a number of known rightwing extremists who are taking an interest in the movement – from convicted football hooligans to members of violent rightwing splinter groups.

Thousands of people have attended its protests – many of which have descended into violence and racist and Islamophobic chanting. Supporters are split into "divisions" spread across the UK and as many as 3,000 people are attracted to its protests.
The group also appears to be drawing support from the armed forces. Its online armed forces division has 842 members and the EDL says many serving soldiers have attended its demonstrations. A spokeswoman for the EDL, whose husband is a serving soldier, said: "The soldiers are fighting Islamic extremism in Afghanistan and Iraq and the EDL are fighting it here … Not all the armed forces support the English Defence League but a majority do."

Following the British National party's poor showing in this month's local and national elections anti-racist campaigners say some far-right activists may be turning away from the ballot box and returning to violent street demonstrations for the first time in three decades.

Nick Lowles, from Searchlight, said: "What we are seeing now is the most serious, most dangerous, political phenomenon that we have had in Britain for a number of years. With EDL protests that are growing week in, week out there is a chance for major disorder and a major political shift to the right in this country."

In undercover footage shot by Guardian Films, EDL spokesman Guramit Singh says its Bradford demonstration "will be huge". He adds: "The problem with Bradford is the security threat, it is a highly populated Muslim area. They are very militant as well. Bradford is a place that has got to be hit."

Singh, who was speaking during an EDL demonstration in Dudley in April, said the organisation would also be targeting Tower Hamlets.
A spokesman for the EDL confirmed it would hold a demonstration in Bradford on 28 August because the city was "on course to be one of the first places to become a no-go area for non-Muslims". The EDL has already announced demonstrations in Cardiff and Dudley.

The former Home Office minister Phil Woolas said: "This is a deliberate attempt by the EDL at division and provocation, to try and push young Muslims into the hands of extremists, in order to perpetuate the divide. It is dangerous."
The EDL claims it is a peaceful and non-racist organisation only concerned with protesting against "militant Islam". However, over the last four months the Guardian has attended its demonstrations and witnessed racism, violence and virulent Islamophobia.

During the election campaign David Cameron described the EDL as "dreadful people" and said the organisation would "always be under review".

A spokesman for the Home Office said that although the government was committed to restoring the right to "non-violent protest … violence and intimidation are wholly unacceptable and the police have powers to deal with individuals who commit such acts. The government condemns those who seek to spread hatred."

He added: "Individual members of EDL – like all members of the public – are of course subject to the law, and all suspected criminal offences will be robustly investigated and dealt with by the police."

The Guardian

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Muslims must refuse to rise to EDL provocation

By ignoring planned EDL demonstrations and looking toward dialogue to dispel myths, Muslims can facilitate cohesion by Samia Rahman

The Guardian's investigation into the English Defence League (EDL) was a fascinating insight into the motivations and aims of the far-right anti-Islamic group. Some of the comments by individuals justifying their involvement with the EDL were hardly a surprise to those of us used to the mythologising and half-truths that get bandied about every time Islam is discussed. The level of hate and fear has, sadly, become a typical reaction from some who will use any excuse to roll up their sleeves and get stuck into a spot of Muslim-bashing.

That familiar cry of "we want our country back" has been directed over centuries against the Jews, the Irish, African-Caribbeans, South Asians, eastern Europeans and so on. Many of these groups continue to bear the brunt of casual racism exposed by the Guardian piece but Islam seems to be firmly on the frontline.

Only this week, a Facebook group whipped up a frenzy of anti-immigrant feeling, which rapidly metamorphosed into anti-Muslim ranting by claiming that the police were attempting to ban the flying of the English flag for fear of upsetting minorities. Of course, the rumour was complete nonsense and stemmed from a letter advising a pub in Croydon to ban football club shirts to minimise confrontation between fans of rival teams. Nothing to do with Muslims, immigrants or the flag, yet almost 160,000 people believed the story and were up in arms about them Muslims with their mosques and their burqas.

It's the ease with which a kernel of truth associated (or not) with Muslims can be blowtorched, twisted out of all recognition and sculpted into something quite unrecognisable from the original that is so disturbing. And it's such hysteria that serves to fuel the anti-Islamic sentiment expressed by those EDL members featured in the Guardian.

Islam, and consequently Muslims, seem to have become a dirty word – only a couple of weeks ago I was on a bus in south London on which a rather flustered weekend dad was trying to control his unruly young son. "You fucker," screamed the boy as his father attempted to stop him from licking the window of the bus. "Don't you dare swear at me you little shit," the dad spat back. "Muslim. You love Muslims you do, you Muslim," was the youngster's bizarre retaliation. I didn't know whether to laugh or despair as the father hissed at his child to "shut the fuck up".

It's fair to say that Muslims have a PR problem and I'm the first to admit that it's not as if some from our ranks haven't fuelled this anger and suspicion. Going all the way back to the Salman Rushdie affair, on to the London bombings, radicalisation, Danish cartoons, not to mention the cartoon-fest on Facebook, the actions of a few Muslims have proved severely damaging. Such notoriety has fomented and unified anti-Muslim sentiment unrestricted by race, background and political persuasion.

One particularly inflammatory incident involving Muslims in recent times involved a group of extremists protesting during a parade in Luton for soldiers returning from Iraq and is thought to have been a catalyst for the creation of the EDL. What was less widely reported was that the Muslim extremists numbered only a handful and were not representative of the views of the large Muslim community in Luton. In fact, the extremists were prevented from repeating their provocative demonstration by other Luton Muslims – who literally drove them out of town.

The EDL claim they are not anti-Muslim and merely anti-militant Islam, although the line is evidently blurred. However, if that really is the case perhaps they would wish to offer their support to the many Muslim grassroots initiatives, as well as intellectual and theological forums striving to challenge extremism. These positive steps rarely grab the headlines in the way that stories about reactionary Muslims do. Perhaps that is much of the problem.

The overwhelming majority of Muslims living in the UK have better things to do than pursue the Islamification of this country and certainly are not keen on the idea of replacing the British constitution with Shariah law by 2040, as if that was even remotely on the cards – considering only 3% of the population of the UK is Muslim. When the EDL faithful wax lyrical about the Islamisation of England I have some difficulty understanding what exactly they mean.

Once the old wives' tales and misinformation are stripped away from their arguments, it is hard to see how Islam is directly and negatively impinging upon their lives. Muslims are a pluralistic and eclectic community with a vast array of individual perspectives that cannot be reliably generalised, never mind brought together to form any sort of movement for Islamisation.

The fact that the EDL is planning a summer of anti-Islamic demonstrations in cities with significant Muslim populations, including Bradford where I currently live, is certainly worrying. The likelihood of counter-demonstrations heightening racial tension and stirring up trouble is also ominous. But Muslims must counter the anti-Islamic momentum by refusing to react, and turning their focus towards transparency and dialogue in an attempt to dispel myths, address concerns and facilitate integration and cohesion.

As troubling as the rise in anti-Islamic sentiment and the casual Islamophobia that comes with it is, there is some solace to be gained in the fact that the British National party performed poorly in the general election. If the EDL is heralding a sharp shift in the political mood to the right, present evidence may prove disappointing for them. If it's a summer of violence and clashes with local Muslims on the streets they are hoping for, let's disappoint them on that front too.

The Gurardian

GREECE CONDEMNED FOR CONTINUED SERIOUS AND WIDESPREAD DISCRIMINATION AGAINST ROMA

For the second time in five years, the European Committee of Social Rights has condemned Greece for continued serious and widespread discrimination against Roma in respect of housing rights. In an unprecedented re-examination under the collective complaints system, the Committee unanimously upheld all of the main substantive allegations in a collective complaint filed in March 2008 by INTERIGHTS in partnership with Greek Helsinki Monitor. The decision on the merits is available here. The complaint detailed the Greek Government’s continuing failure to provide adequate housing and related infrastructure for the Roma as well as its involvement in over 20 forced evictions since 2004. It also highlighted the systematic discrimination experienced by the Roma and the failure of the Government to provide adequate safeguards and remedies for this vulnerable community. There are approximately 300,000 individuals of Roma origin living in Greece and due to the absence of suitable housing, many are dwelling in 52 improvised and dangerous encampments.

The complaint marks a turning point in the Committee’s work, being the first time it has been asked and agreed to re-examine an issue that it has previously considered. In returning to this issue, the Committee found that not only had Greece made insufficient progress in implementing recommendations from the previous decision but it had also committed significant new breaches of its housing obligations. The result is that the housing situation for most Roma families has worsened in the last five years. Commenting on the decision, Iain Byrne, a Senior Lawyer at INTERIGHTS who worked on the case, said: “This decision clearly demonstrates that governments can no longer fail to implement their economic and social rights obligations and expect to be let off the hook. By dismissing the Greek Government’s objections to a re-examination of the complaint, the Committee has sent a clear signal that victims should not be denied access to justice. It is to be hoped that, in contrast to its record over the last five years, the Greek Government will take concrete action to address the Committee’s serious concerns.”

Drawing on a large amount of material presented by the complainants, together with the findings of a number of UN, Council of Europe and national experts, the Committee found significant evidence that many Roma continue to live in housing which fails to meet minimum standards of habitability and infrastructure. Many settlements consist solely of prefabricated housing with no electricity, running water or waste collection. The Committee dismissed the Government’s arguments that Greek legislation provides adequate safeguards for the prevention of discrimination, emphasising that in general, but in particular in the case of the Roma, merely ensuring identical treatment as a means of protection against any discrimination is not sufficient. Instead, real and effective equality requires taking into account the different situation that the Roma find themselves. The Committee also concluded that the Government failed to demonstrate that either in law or practice there was sufficient provision for consultation with those to be affected by eviction, including reasonable notice and information on the provision of alternative accommodation. In summary, “no serious efforts are being made to find alternative sites or accommodation.”

In a finding that could also impact on access to justice for other marginalised communities, the Committee also deemed that the legal recourse available was not sufficiently accessible. With many Roma families unaware of the right to challenge an eviction notice, for example, the Committee found that “[t]he special circumstances of Roma families threatened by eviction means that special support should be available including targeted advice on availability of legal aid and on appeals.” The Committee concluded unanimously that there had been a violation of (a) Article 16 of the Charter on the grounds that the different situation of Roma families is not sufficiently taken into account with the result that a significant number of Roma families continue to live in conditions that fail to meet minimum standards and (b) Article 16 of the Charter on the grounds that Roma families continue to be forcibly evicted in breach of the Charter and the legal remedies generally available are not sufficiently accessible to them.

Panayote Dimitras, spokesperson for Greek Helsinki Monitor, said: “The Government must admit that the Roma housing program failed; that most housing loans did not help Roma move out from destitute settlements into adequate homes; that hundreds of forced evictions have been taking place instead. Appropriate authorities must investigate these charges and punish those found responsible. The Government should appoint new persons to implement a new holistic and effective integration plan so as to execute the double Special Charter conviction and avoid a third one in a few years. This new approach requires that authorities work directly with destitute Roma and those really representing them, rather than state-appointed assimilated Roma 'leaders'.”

inter rights

NAZI MEMORABILIA FOUND WITH ARSONISTS (Czech Rep.)

A flag with swastika and further items featuring Adolf Hitler and Benito Mussolini were found with four Czech youths now tried over an arson attack on a house inhabited by Romanies last year, authorised expert Michal Mazel told the court yesterday. The four youths were active neo-Nazis. They supported other neo-Nazis now in prison and had a number of things with the Nazi theme, Mazel said. They read articles inciting for arson attacks on Romanies from the magazines they were hiding in their homes, said Mazel, who drew up an expert report on the objects found by the police in the defendants' homes. The four, David Vaculik, Jaromir Lukes, Ivo Mueller and Vaclav Cojocaru, face exceptional sentences, up to life imprisonment, if convicted of racially motivated attempted murder. Three of the suspects threw three Molotov cocktails in the windows of a Romany family house in Vitkov. Three of the house inhabitants suffered injuries in the subsequent fire. The worst afflicted was a 1.5-year-old girl Natalka, who suffered severe burns on 80 percent of her body. "These are things directly connected with both historical Nazism and modern European and global neo-Nazism," Mazel said. "They also had a number of magazines with racist and hateful texts. There were appeals to kill members of other ethnic groups as well as appeals to something similar to what happened in Vitkov," Mazel said. Lukes, Ivo Mueller and Cojocaru have confessed to the crime, but denied that it was a deliberate attack on the Romanies. They said they only wanted to burn a store of stolen things in the house.

Mazel questioned this yesterday. "I have never come across any extremists wanted to attack any storage facility. It is to be a sign of racial war that is always waged against people, an ethnic group or a hostile race," Mazel said. Authorised experts said the confiscated things unequivocally proved the defendants were intensively interested in extremist issues and that they lived for the neo-Nazi movement. "This can be primarily seen in their effort to support their imprisoned friends," Mazel said, adding that the defendants were among the worst extremists. Mazel said he had often found the symbol C18 on the things and video recordings. This is the name of a British neo-Nazi terrorist organisation. The defendants also had clothes with the number 18. Mazel said it was a visible allusion to the name of Adolf Hitler for neo-Nazis. Mazel said the found things were clearly witnessing of promotion of racial exclusiveness and xenophobic attitudes. The police found with Cojocaru a neo-Nazi magazine with the texts calling Romanies rubbish or beasts. They call for a racial purge, Mazel said. Mazel said video recordings of neo-Nazi music bands were found among the confiscated things. At the beginning of the trial Cojocaru and Mueller denied active membership of neo-Nazi cells. "I only wanted to belong somewhere," Mueller said. "I liked the fashion, the bomber jackets they wore," Cojocaru said.

Prague Monitor

ECCLES MOSQUE ATTACKED (uk)

Vandals carried out two attacks in one night on a Manchester mosque on April 10. They were captured on camera as they removed fencing and threw bricks through the windows. The vandalism is the latest in a series of Islamophobic attacks on the mosque in Liverpool Road, Eccles. CCTV cameras were installed after a break-in in 2006 when intruders caused extensive damage. Local officers are now providing reassurance to religious leaders and members of the community by holding a series of meetings with the Eccles mosque committee and conducting high visibility joint patrols with a committee member in the local area. Eccles Mosque Chair, Ali Anees, told The Muslim News, “We have had problems regularly. In March, someone threw paint over the outside of the mosque and wrote graffiti. “Then at about 2am last Saturday two men got into the grounds. One is on film throwing bricks which had been taken from a wall of a neighbouring building. They attacked the building twice in about 20 minutes. “Three sections of the windows were smashed and bricks were found inside the office of the mosque. We had another incident in March when eggs were thrown at people leaving the mosque by people driving past. After the damaged caused in 2006, they have spent £425,000 on new buildings. “We have up to 500 members and they are very angry about the attacks. We want the culprits caught.” One vandal is seen to hurl at least five bricks through windows and temporary fencing is pulled down.

In a statement to The Muslim News Sergeant Tom Martin from Salford South Neighbourhood Policing Team said, “We are working closely with members of the mosque to ensure this type of incidents doesn’t happen again. Existing CCTV cameras have been reviewed to maximize their potential and a local resident has agreed to remove loose bricks outside his home in order to prevent them from being used to cause further damage. “I can reassure the community that we do not tolerate this kind of vandalism and we will do everything possible to bring the offenders to justice. If residents have any concerns what so ever, they can contact a member of my team.”

muslimnews

UNITING IN CITY OF PEACE AGAINST FAR-RIGHT DEMO (uk)

Protesters staged a meeting ahead of the English Defence League’s march through Newcastle. The EDL,  which claims to protest against “Muslim extremism”, will march from the city’s Central Station to the Bigg Market tomorrow. But members of Unite Against Fascism are holding a counter demonstration. Councillors, trade union reps, officials from Show Racism the Red Card and the national secretary of the UAF, Weyman Bennett, all voiced opinions to a 50-strong crowd at St John’s Church Hall as they made final preparations for their march. Some concerned Asian residents asked why the council has not banned the EDL protest. John Igbal, 28, of Fenham, said: “I cannot believe they are allowing them to come in here with their racist beliefs. “One minute the police are telling us to get on with our normal lives and then the next they are asking us to avoid the city centre on Saturday. “People’s views are changing in Newcastle and they are no longer racist to minorities, so on Saturday we will come together and protest together.” David Faulkner, deputy leader of the city council, said: “We have the right to protest, it’s in our human rights. Stopping this demonstration would show to them that they had won. Why should we let them win? We need to go out there and win the argument.”

Representatives from Show Racism the Red Card praised football clubs for backing the anti-racism drive. Education worker Laura Pitcock said: “We work tirelessly to get rid of racist beliefs and we stand behind the UAF to combat the EDL.” She added: “We need to go out and show them Newcastle enjoys being a multi-cultural city.” Steve Simmons, from the EDL, said: “The only concern we have is the UAF – they pop up wherever we go. We have Sikhs and Hindus and mixed race people. The central bombardment of ‘Nazi scum off our streets’ is wearing a bit thin now.” A police spokeswoman said: “It is important people know that as a police force we have no powers to ban a static assembly or protest that is arranged for a peaceful purpose. “We act in a neutral capacity in such matters, respect the right to peacefully protest and have a duty to facilitate this right. “However, our role is also to protect, reassure and support our communities. Where people act in a criminal manner they will be identified and dealt with. “We are working closely with the organisers of all events and have emphasised to them it is their responsibility to ensure those involved act in a peaceful way. We will only intervene if this is not the case. They have responded very positively to this approach.”
The Chroniclelive

GYPSY SITE RACE FEAR (uk)

Furious residents have joined David Blunkett to fight plans for a new gypsy site on a residential street - which the MP warned could ignite a "tinderbox" of ethnic tensions. The site - a former woodyard on Abbeyfield Road, Pitsmoor, near the junction of Holtwood Road - is one of three identified in the city as new locations to house travellers. New gypsy camps could also be sited off Sicey Avenue, between Firth Park and Shiregreen, and on Ross Street, off Main Road, Darnall. The proposals were revealed for the first time in the draft Sheffield Development Framework, approved for public consultation by the city council, which earmark sites around the city for development in coming years. The council says it needs to provide 29 additional plots for gypsies on top of existing sites at Halfway and Redmires. Brightside and Hillsborough MP Mr Blunkett, whose constituency includes Burngreave, said:"It's an area of major deprivation with a major issue around community cohesion. The last thing you do is put a travellers' site there. "Where you add one problem on top of another and another so even the most understanding residents feel under strain, you create a tinderbox of tensions." Mr Blunkett added: "The area has very large challenges - in particular integration of existing Slovak and Roma populations - and I would be concerned about the impact of an influx of travellers. "The disruption which would be caused by traveller families bringing their children into schools and taking them out again after a few weeks would be devastating. "Some schools are already subject to very challenging conditions and this could finish them as parents of other children take them elsewhere."

Seven residents attended Sheffield Council's cabinet, where the draft document was passed, after being alerted to the proposals by Burngreave councillor Ibrar Hussain. Ann Claytor, of Abbeyfield Road, said: "What makes them think Burngreave can cope with another influx of people with health and social needs?" Fellow Abbeyfield Road resident Gwyn Fields said: "The area is already saturated with transient groups and is fragile. Would it take much to tip the balance?" Other residents were unhappy about the impact of the scheme on "quality of life" and of extra traffic and parked cars, particularly on children crossing the road to Abbeyfield Park. Coun Hussain said: "The campaign starts now to stop this development." Coun Peter Price, who represents Shiregreen and Brightside and chairs the North East Community Assembly, is opposing Pitsmoor plans and those for Sicey Avenue. He said: "Both sites are surrounded by homes and, in the case of Sicey Avenue, is overlooked by new flats, many of which have yet to be sold. "Gypsy sites need space to facilitate the livelihood of site users, such as small scale industrial activity, metal sorting and needing commercial vehicles. "This will cause a considerable nuisance to nearby neighbours. How any planning authority could contemplate this is beyond our comprehension and we believe would not be tolerated in any other area." Coun Penny Baker, Sheffield Council cabinet member for housing, said: "This is a consultation document and nothing is set in stone. Everything said in response will be taken away and used when developing the final document."

The Star

LGBT PUBLIC EVENTS IN EUROPE ARE STILL SUBJECTS TO BANS, LIMITATIONS AND VIOLENT PROTESTS

by Juris Lavrikovs, ILGA-Europe's Communications Manager

28/5/2010- Arrival of the spring means the beginning of Pride season across Europe. This season LGBT people in Europe already experienced limitations of their constitutional right to peaceful assembly and even faced hateful and violent opposition.

Chiºinãu - Moldova
This year the Mayor of Chiºinãu again initiated a ban on a public event in supporting the adoption of anti-discrimination legislation. The court ruled that the planned peaceful demonstration can only take place in a park far from the city centre. The organisers, GenderDoc-M, rejected the alternative location for their event and plan to appeal this decision. Following the court decision they have cancelled their original demonstration in the central square.

Nikolaev – Ukraine
The Rainbow Spring LGBT Festival was organised by LiGA (Nikolaev, Ukraine) from 14-17 May. The Nikolaev authorities banned the festival's public events in 2008 and 2009, and thus the organisers included only private events in the 2010 festival programme such as round table discussions and community events. The local authorities and the Ukrainian Ombudsman's office were asked to be present at the round table discussions but declined to participate.

Baltic Pride – Vilnius (Lithuania)

This year's traditionally troubled Baltic Pride was scheduled to take place in Vilnius. It was the first time such event was organised in Lithuania. Considering previous bans and violent protests during other Pride events in the Baltics and strong opposition within Lithuania, this event attracted significant attention from and presence of European and international politicians and human rights organisations. ILGA-Europe organised two of its events in Vilnius to coincide with and to support the Baltic Pride. The permission for the planned March for Equality was temporarily suspended prior to the March, but successfully challenged in the court by the organisers. The March went ahead under heavy police protection and significant number of protesters. Despite some attempts to disturb the March and a smoke bomb thrown towards the marchers, the event went without any major incidents and no one was hurt.
Slavic Pride – Minsk (Belarus)
Just a week before the planned event, the organisers of the Slavic Pride in Minsk received a letter from Mr Mikhail Titenkov, deputy head of Minsk City Executive Committee, refusing permission for the Slavic Pride march to take place. The letter refers to Article 9 of the Law of Belarus Republic on the staging of public events and says that “public events are not allowed at the distance of less than 200 metres from underground pedestrian crossings and metro stations. About 20 activists defied the ban and went to the streets of Mink and were arrested by the militia. ILGA-Europe issued a statement condemning the ban of the Slavic Pride.

Rainbow Pride - Bratislava (Slovakia)
This was the first ever Pride event organised in Slovakia. While the Rainbow Pride March took place, its rout had to be changed and the marchers could not walk through the centre of Bratislava due to hundreds of neo-Nazi protesters disturbing the March and intimidating its participants. The police was criticized for the lack of resources and the number of police personal allocated to this event. At the same time this event was proclaimed as victory as it took place for the first time in Slovakia.

Russia
Moscow prepares to see the 6th banned LGBT Pride on 29 May (http://www.gayrussia.ru/en). A last decision on an appeal to the ban is expected from the Tverskij Court on 28 May. The ban on three pickets has been upheld by the Taganskij Court of the Moscow region, because of the negative effect on public transport and inability to guarantee for the security of the participants.

On 26 June a Pride event is planned to take place in St. Petersburg There is little hope for it to be sanctioned from authorities.

In the mean time, LGBT activists all over Russia are using different forms to bring visibility to the issue of homophobia. This year, more than 1000 people in 34 Russian cities took part in the public actions around the Rainbow Flashmob and the Day of Silence

ILGA Europe

Racist abuse hurled at local businessman (UK)

AN Andover businessman says he was deeply upset after being subjected to what he described as ‘a more intelligent form of racism’.


Mr Taj Uddin – managing director of Pink Olive Investments, which runs the Pink Olive, Blue Garlic and Mumbai Thai restaurants – was walking back to his car in Shepherds Spring car park in Andover at lunchtime when a group of six or seven youths shouted racial abuse at him.

The 28-year-old businessman said: “I’ve faced far worse. I grew up in London, in the East Bethnal area, in the 1990s when we used to get chased up to the flats with baseball bats.

“I thought that was past us in this day and age, but it still exists in a different form – it’s a more intelligent form of racism, rather than the thuggish form.”

He said the youths, aged 16 to 17, were obviously educated and that in a way that was more serious because the more physical form of racism could be passed off as coming from people who knew no better.

“It was upsetting,” he added.

Mr Uddin runs the Blue Garlic Indian restaurant in Tidworth, the Pink Olive in Weyhill and the Mumbai Thai in Andover. The Mumbai Thai was opened by Andover MP Sir George Young in November last year.

Police say they are still investigating the incident, which happened at about 1.30pm on 13 May. Anyone with information is asked to contact Andover police on 0845 045 4545.

This is Hampshire