Shock over racist attack on kebab shop by thug

Peter Hobbins was shocked when he heard a tirade of abuse being shouted at staff in a kebab shop in Gosport.

The 45-year-old was walking along Stoke Road when he saw a man launch a racist attack on workers at Best Kebab, in Stoke Road.

The man was seen shouting and swearing, saying ‘Go back to where you came from’.

It follows another racist incident in Portsmouth, in which spray-painted graffiti saying dirty Polish’ and ‘Ukip’ was found near the war memorial in Guildhall Square in Portsmouth.

Mr Hobbins, a former army reservist, said: ‘A man walked past me and he was extremely angry and banging on the window of Best Kebab.

‘I immediately had the impression this person had the capacity to be extremely violent and dangerous and I was very concerned that he might go into the kebab shop and attack the staff.

‘At this point I decided to approach the suspect face to face and glare at him in disapproval. Two other males and a female were with the suspect.’

Mr Hobbins said staff in the shop looked ‘stunned and horrified’.

He added: ‘I thought he might assault me although after a while he appeared to change his mind and walk away.

‘He looked very irritable and angry and had a look of hate in his eyes.

‘He walked across the road with the other three adults who appeared to be telling him off. I walked into the kebab shop to reassure the staff.’

Mr Hobbins has reported the incident to Hampshire police.

He described the suspect as white, aged about 45, 5ft 7in, skinny, with a deep croaky voice, short dark hair, and wearing a dark jacket and blue jeans.

He added: ‘This man’s actions were shocking to say the least and it’s a relief the other adults accompanying him appeared to disapprove of his behaviour.

‘As a religious studies teacher it is one of the main aspects of my profession to stand up against racism.’

Meanwhile, the Polish embassy has written a letter of concern to Councillor David Fuller, the Lord Mayor of Portsmouth, about the racist graffiti.