Muslim family cut short Blackpool holiday after suffering racist abuse

Categories: Latest News
Friday January 16 2015
The Daily Mirror and Gazette Live report on the sentencing of two women who accosted a Muslim family on holiday in Blackpool with rants about ‘banning the burqa’.
Imtiaz Hussain, his wife Barbara and their three daughters were on a week long holiday in Blackpool when the incident occurred on the first day of their break.
The papers report that “Mrs Hussain was racially abused and two of her daughters who were wearing headscarves were taunted with “Ban the Burka” chants.”
The situation worsened when a group of young men joined in shouting “EDL” and “BNP” at the family and challenging the parents to a fight. The family who were surrounded by the racists were rescued after coastguards saw the altercation and alerted the police.
Giving evidence in court, Mr Hussain said, “There were shouts of Ban the Burka – two of my children were wearing scarves of their own free will but one of them won’t anymore because of this.”
“We had done nothing to deserve this – we had done nothing.”
The family returned home after the first day following the incident though they had paid for a week’s holiday in Blackpool.
The Gazette Live reports “Natalie Wilkinson, 23, appeared at Blackpool Magistrates’ Court and admitted three charges of racially aggravated threatening behaviour and disorder. She was sent for sentence at Preston Crown Court because she is already on a suspended jail term.”
The second woman involved in the incident, Nicola Lloyd, 23, was found guilty in her absence and magistrates have issued a warrant for her arrest.