'I'm scared someone will kill my kids'- Sheffield mum whose house was scrawled with racist graffiti pleads for 'hate to end'

Nicole Hunt was already reeling from current tensions in America when she walked down the driveway with her six-year-old son yesterday to find the words ‘kill ni****s’ written on her garden gate.

Since the discovery at her Woodthorpe home, single mum Nicole says she hasn’t slept for fear that her two young children, who are mixed race, will come to harm.

Still ‘in shock’, she told the Star: “That second word made me sick, but what really struck me was the word ‘kill’. Does somebody want to kill my children?

“I’m well aware of what’s happening in America and across the world, but what do my innocent kids have to do with it all?

“I immediately called the police and they came straight away. I can’t fault how they dealt with the incident.

“But my mind has been racing ever since, wondering why my house was targeted, and if whoever wrote this has been stalking my family for a while.

“I’m just so glad my son can’t read.”

Nicole says that, despite an outpouring of support from well-wishers across Sheffield, she can’t help but be concerned for the future.

It comes as South Yorkshire’s police and crime commissioner Dr Alan Billings called for everyone to become “better allies” to victims of discrimination following the death of George Floyd while in police custody.

“I’ve never encountered anything like this before,” she said. “And it makes me wonder… if my children are being threatened now, when they’re so small, what’s going to happen when they grow up?

“Woodthorpe, where I live, is quite a cultural mix, as is Sheffield as a whole. Up until now I felt safe here.

“I’m trying to tell myself there’s more good in the city than bad. People have been so kind- messaging me and passing on their phone numbers if I’m ever in trouble. I’m on my own, so it’s comforting.

“I was brought up to believe that we all bleed the same colour and are all equal. I try to teach my children these values but what does the future hold for them? I’ll do anything to protect them.

“I don’t know what possesses people, I really don’t. But the hate has to stop. This has to stop.”

A South Yorkshire Police spokesperson said: “Police were called at around 3.50pm yesterday (June 4) following reports of racist graffiti on Hastilar Road South.

“Officers attended and have launched an investigation into the incident.

“Anyone with information is encouraged to contact 101 quoting crime reference number 14/87753/20.”

A Justice for Black Lives protest will take place in Sheffield on Saturday afternoon as part of international demonstrations against Mr Floyd’s death and the issue of racism more widely.

A message from the Editor:

Thank you for reading this story on our website. While I have your attention, I also have an important request to make of you.

With the coronavirus lockdown having a major impact on many of our advertisers - and consequently the revenue we receive - we are more reliant than ever on you taking out a digital subscription.

Subscribe to The Star website and enjoy unlimited access to local news and information online and on our app. With a digital subscription, you can read more than 5 articles, see fewer ads, enjoy faster load times, and get access to exclusive newsletters and content.

Visit https://www.thestar.co.uk/subscriptions now to sign up.

Our journalism costs money and we rely on advertising, print and digital revenues to help to support them. By supporting us, we are able to support you in providing trusted, fact-checked content for this website.

Thank you

Nancy Fielder, editor