A gang of teen yobs hurled racist abuse at a young man and woman as they walked through Paisley town centre.
The victims were targeted in Gilmour Street near the cenotaph around 9.20pm on Friday.
Cops said a 16 year-old boy and a 23 year-old woman were heading from nearby Gilmour Street train station after getting off a train when the group approached them and began to shout racist taunts at them.
The abuse continued for a several minutes before the louts made off from the scene.
The frightened pair approached police in the area but a search for the suspects proved unsuccessful.
It is understood the victims were unhurt in the incident but have been left distressed and upset by the ordeal.
A trawl of town centre CCTV is now underway to identify members of the group, police revealed.
Officers probing the incident, which they are treating as a hate crime, have appealed for witnesses to come forward and urge others who have been targeted in a similar way to come forward
Inspector Laura Hamill, from Renfrewshire’s community policing team, said: “A young man and woman were making their way along Gilmour Street in Paisley at around 9.20pm on Friday when they were approached by a group of youths who then racially abused them.
“We are currently carrying out enquires to identify members of the group.
“We would appeal to anyone who may have witnessed what occurred to come forward to police immediately .”
She added: “Hate crime has no place in our community and this kind of behaviour simply won’t be tolerated.
“Preventing and investigating hate crime remains a priority for the division.
“If you have been a victim of a hate crime, please come forward and report it to police. We will always investigate fully.”
Express readers with information should call police on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
