'Despicable' racist attack on family at fun fair (From This Is Lancashire)

4:11pm Tuesday 17th July 2007

FOUR teenage girls have been arrested following a "despicable" racist attack on a family at a fun fair.

Police said an Asian family were lucky to escape injury after they were set upon by a gang at Burnley Fair, Fulledge Recreation Ground, on Sunday.

At one point stones and bricks were thrown at their car as they fled.

The family of nine young teenagers and one adult had been on the fair's waltzer ride at around 7pm when racist abuse was shouted at them.

They were also spat at while on the ride and decided to leave the fair.

But as they were heading towards an uncle picking them up in the car, they were pushed and knocked to the ground.

As the car left, stones and bricks were thrown at it, smashing the windscreen.

Detective Sergeant Graham Gallagher, of Burnley CID's hate crime unit, said the family was lucky to have escaped without injury.

He said it was being treated as a racist incident.

Det Sgt said: "This was a despicable and appalling attack and we do not want to see people behaving like this in Burnley.

"The last thing you expect when you go to the fair with your family is to be attacked like this and they were all very shaken up by it.

"It was early evening and the fair is very popular so there must have been some people there who saw what went on."

Four teenage girls have been arrested and released on police bail pending further inquiries in connection with the incident.

Anyone with information should contact DS Gallagher on 01282 472282, or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

News RSS Feed