Thug reportedly hurled hot coffee and racist abuse at teen girl in town centre attack

Her family say the 17-year-old Muslim girl was leaving the Market Place Shopping Centre with her mother on the afternoon of Sunday, December 28 when the attack happened.

Speaking to The Bolton News, the girl’s uncle says that a man who appeared to have left the Knowsley Street McDonald’s threw coffee in her face and called her a “P*ki b*tch”.

The girl’s uncle, from Halliwell, said the 17-year-old had been badly shaken up by the incident and left fearful of going about her normal routines in the town centre.

He said: “We’ve now had to make arrangements so that she doesn’t have to go through the town.

The girl says she left the Market Place shopping centre and turned on to Knowsley Street when the incident happened (Image: Newsquest)

“This is a growing girl at a time when we need to be building up her confidence.”

He added: “We’ve all got nephews and nieces and when something like this happens, it shows it can happen to others as well, and all our families feel like they need to take precautions.

“It’s bad enough doing it to anyone, but doing it to a young girl, I told her: ‘he’s a coward.’”

The girl described her attacker as being a man on his own who appeared to be between in his mid-30s to around the age of 40.

He appeared to have bought coffee at the Knowsley Street McDonald’s early in the afternoon before launching his attack.

The girl’s uncle says the incident has left him concerned about the safety of other family members, especially younger women and girls, from the Muslim community.

He said he hoped that the man can be identified by CCTV footage and eventually brought to justice.

He said: “We know where he’s bought coffee from and we know what route he’s taken.”

He added: “Hopefully then at least he’ll be taken to court and he know he can’t do this again.”

Her uncle says that a police officer arrived to speak to the family later on Sunday and he has also raised the matter with Halliwell’s Cllr Hanif Alli.

Cllr Alli said the incident had deepened his concerns about Islamophobia and the tone of public debate about race and racism in the UK.

But he said people like the as-yet unidentified Knowsley Street man were not representative of most of the community.

Cllr Alli said: “This type of behaviour will not be tolerated and we have zero tolerance in Bolton for racist and Islamophobic attacks like this. 

“Everyone should feel safe walking in town, and we are not ‘an island of strangers’ but a nation of neighbours!

“I am working closely with locals and the police to bring this thug to justice.”

He added: “I would also like to thank GMP for their swift response in this matter as it is imperative that we all work together to stamp out this societal cancer!”

Greater Manchester Police have confirmed they are aware of the incident.

Anyone with any information can call police on 101 or 999 in an emergency.

Alternatively, members of the public can call independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

Source – INDIA TV