'Racist abuse is being normalised' councillor claims as police investigate Sheffield train station incident
“It's horrible to see some of the worst attitudes and behaviours increasingly becoming mainstream”
A councillor has warned that racist abuse is becoming “normalised” after he was alerted to reports of a group targeting a man on a train.
British Transport Police (BTP) are investigating the incident, which saw a group of men surround a foreign-language speaking man on a train arriving at Sheffield railway station last Friday (June 6).
An eye-witness who wished to remain anonymous told The Star that the group were demanding that a man on the phone speak English.
“They surrounded him and started very aggressively asking him ‘what language are you speaking, can you speak English’,” she added.
She explained that they quickly got off the train when it pulled into the station, adding she felt “just very angry” that it happened so publicly.
Councillor Minesh Parekh, for Crookes and Crosspool, thanked her for raising the matter with himself and the British Transport Police as he warned that this kind of behaviour is becoming more common.
He went on to say: “It's horrible to see some of the worst attitudes and behaviours increasingly becoming mainstream...
“Racist and xenophobic abuse is being normalised by the growth of the far right, and it's incumbent on all of us to challenge racism wherever manifests. Thank you to the person who raised this with British Transport Police and I hope the individuals are held accountable for their actions."
Police are investigating the matter.
A BTP spokesperson said: “Officers received a late third party report at around 9pm on Saturday June 6 regarding a group of men who were racially abusive and threatening towards another man on a train arriving at Sheffield railway station. Enquiries are ongoing.”