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Mixed race family 'targeted with white lives matter chant at Wetherspoons pub'

A family allegedly suffered racist abuse at a Wetherspoons pub in Leek, Staffordshire (Reach)
A family allegedly suffered racist abuse at a Wetherspoons pub in Leek, Staffordshire. (Reach)

A mixed-race family were targeted with chants of “white lives matter” at a Wetherspoons pub, it has been reported.

Police have launched an investigation into the alleged incident at the Green Dragon Wetherspoons pub in Leek, Staffordshire.

The Stoke Sentinel said a man and his friends were met with racist abuse as he walked into the pub on Saturday evening.

It was the first day that pubs were allowed to reopen after the government eased its coronavirus lockdown.

The man texted his mother about the incident, and his father and brother arrived at the pub a short time later and were also verbally abused and threatened, the newspaper said.

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The family then decided to leave the pub to avoid a confrontation. The alleged victim’s mother later posted on social media.

She wrote: "Our son goes out in Leek, excited to have a few beers with his mates and then I get this text saying: 'We’ve just walked into Spoons and someone outside has wanted to hit me because I’m ‘coloured’. There are a group of people shouting 'white lives matter'.

"These lads continue to want to fight, now not only my son but my husband and my other son.

"Luckily my husband manages to convince our boys they are not worth it and they call it a night and come home.

"We are a mixed race family and we are proud. It upsets me so much to know my son feels safer outside of his home town because his skin colour is not white.”

A spokeswoman for Staffordshire Police said: “We can confirm that this hate crime was reported to Staffordshire Police at 7.15pm on Sunday.

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“The incidents took place the previous evening at a number of locations in Leek town centre. It was reported that racist and abusive language had been directed at two men.

“An investigation is underway and positive action will be taken in line with the victims’ wishes.”

A spokesman for Wetherspoons said: “We wholeheartedly apologise to the customer who was racially abused as he entered our pub.

“We can confirm that the abuse directed at him came from a customer who had previously been removed from the pub for poor behaviour. We utterly condemn racist behaviour."

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