- A University of Leicester study found that many minority ethnic people feel the British countryside is "unwelcoming and unsafe", experiencing racial slurs, intimidation, and threats.
- The two-year research, involving 115 participants, concluded there is widespread denial of racism in rural contexts and a resistance to reinterpreting rural heritage, often equating rural identity with whiteness.
- Reported experiences ranged from subtle hostility like persistent staring to overt incidents including name-calling and threats.
- The report concluded that there is "widespread denial that racism exists or that it is significant in rural contexts".
- The Countryside Alliance, a participant in the study, disputed the emphasis on rural racism, suggesting hate crime data indicates rural areas are among the least affected parts of the country.
IN FULL
Rural racism leaves people feeling ‘unwelcome and unsafe’ in UK countryside
