Shockwaves sent through Polish community as ‘racially motivated’ graffiti is spray-painted on social club
Poles left wondering if they are safe in the UK following Brexit backlash, which 'let an evil genie out of a bottle'
COPS were last night probing a series of race-hate crimes in the wake of the UK’s vote for Brexit.
Yesterday a Polish community centre in Hammersmith, West London, was daubed with graffiti allegedly telling visitors to “Go Home”.
Shocked local Tory MP Greg Hands tweeted: “Am hearing that the Polish Centre in Hammersmith has been smeared with ‘Go Home’.
“This is an unspeakable crime and is indescribably awful.”
He later deleted the tweet, but Scotland Yard confirmed it was investigating a report of alleged racially-motivated criminal damage.
It added enquiries were continuing.
related stories
Meanwhile in Huntingdon, Cambs, an 11-year-old boy found laminated leaflets outside a school known for its high number of Eastern European children.
Reports said one flyer, in English, read: “Leave the EU. No more Polish vermin.”
Another, typed in Polish, said: “Go home Polish scum.”
Cambridgeshire Police confirmed the force was investigating.
Twitter was also awash with claims of racist incidents in the days after Britain’s historic referendum.
Miqdaad Versi, assistant secretary general of the Muslim Council, retweeted a series of reports from across the UK.
One, by Economist columnist Jeremy Cliffe on Saturday, read: “Yesterday my partner witnessed people jeering at Polish coffee shop worker: ‘You’re going home now.’”
And Dr Karen Bateson, a child psychologist, tweeted on Friday: “Just arrived at 78 per cent Muslim school.
“White man stood making victory signs at families walking past.
“This is the racism we have legitimised.”
It was not clear if either of the claims were reported to cops or directly linked to the EU vote.
But Labour MP Jess Phillips said on Saturday: “I will be putting in a parliamentary question to find out all incidents of racial hatred in the UK this weekend compared with last week.”