A Polish man was chased by a group of 20 men and beaten with a nailed plank of wood in a “racially aggravated assault” in Hull, police have said.
The 20-year-old victim is being treated in hospital following the attack on a crime-hit housing estate north of the city.
Friends of the man, who has not been named, said they were chased by20 men after being overheard speaking Polish.
One friend said the victim and three others, all from eastern Europe, ran off when the men began to shout and throw bottles at them at about 7.30pm on Sunday.
He told the Hull Daily Mail: “They then started to chase after us, so we did the only thing we could and ran. We got to about three doors down from where one of us lived, and then they caught one of us.
“They were hitting him with a plank of wood with nails in it. He was on the floor for 25 minutes before the ambulance came, and he was in hospital overnight. He is recovering at home now.”
Humberside police confirmed that a group of about 20 men had made threats and shouted at the victim before chasing him to a house on Laxthorpe, near the Orchard Park housing estate.
It added: “We are treating this as a racially aggravated assault and would appeal for anyone with information that will help us identify those involved to call us on 101 quoting log 520 15/04/18.”
The racist attack follows repeated warnings about a recent spike in violent crime on Orchard Park. Three people were stabbed in less than a month on the estate between February and March, including a 21-year-old woman who was killed.
The friend of the Polish victim attacked on Sunday said he was scared to leave his home and that it was not the first time the group had been racially abused. He said he had been trying to move out of Orchard Park for more than six months.
“This sort of thing happens nearly every day to Polish people here,” he told the Hull Daily Mail.
“I have been living here for five or six years, and to start with I didn’t have any problems. Then the gangs started to realise I was Polish, and I have had problems ever since. Everyone is worried about it now. It is definitely getting worse.”
A spokesman for the Polish embassy in London said: “The embassy is aware of the incident and consulate general of the Republic of Poland in Manchester is in contact with the local police, which is carrying out the investigation. We are unable to comment any further at this point.”
Labour MP Diana Johnson, whose Hull North constituency includes the Orchard Park estate, said she was concerned about the latest attack in the area.
She added: “Along with my constituents I’m concerned about increasing levels of anti-social behaviour - including violence - from gangs of youths recently in the Orchard Park area.
“This has included vandalism, thefts and muggings, drug-dealing and the use of motorbikes to harass and intimidate residents. We recently saw three stabbings on the North Hull Estate within a month.
“I want our local police have the resources, powers and support they need to catch and prosecute the criminals and to deter young people from getting involved in gang culture.”
