A man and his one-year-old child were sprayed with an unknown substance in what police have described as a “racially aggravated” attack in Worcester, sending shock waves across the local Muslim community.
The victims suffered minor irritation injuries in the assault which took place at Guilford Close, Ronkswood, at about 18:00pm on Wednesday.
A 77-year-old woman was arrested on suspicion of assault, racially aggravated public order and threats to kill. She was later further arrested on suspicion of harassment and remains in police custody, West Mercia Police said.
Inquiries were ongoing and officers were providing reassurance to residents, a spokesman added.
Following the shocking attack, Muslim community leaders at a city mosque have spoken of their “shock and sadness.”
A spokesperson for Worcester Mosque wrote in a Facebook post: “Assalamu Alaikum and peace to all. We are deeply shocked and saddened by a racist attack in our city where a one-year-old child and his father were sprayed with an unknown substance and subjected to racial abuse and threats to kill.
“This was not just an attack on one family — it was an attack on all of us, the people of Worcester. Racism and hate will never win against our community, our families, and our shared values. We urge everyone to remain vigilant and to look out for those who may be more visibly targeted.
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“As a community, we must: stay alert and support those who may feel unsafe; Speak out and report any incidents of hate or abuse ; show compassion to one another — a kind word or action can mean the world; reject all forms of hate — racism, Islamophobia, antisemitism, and more hate divides, but Worcester is stronger when we stand together. Let’s make our city a place where people of all backgrounds and faiths feel safe, respected, and welcome.”
This attack comes amid a sharp rise in Islamophobic hate occurring across the UK as far-right forces and pro-Israel activists push an anti-immigrant and anti-Palestine agenda onto Britain.
On 5 October, two masked men where caught on CCTV trying to burn down a mosque in East Sussex in an attack being treated as a hate crime by local police.
And on 6 October, three men were jailed for a total of more than six years after committing violent disorder in Epping while officers had tried to facilitate a peaceful protest outside The Bell Hotel.
Each of the men had been seen on body worn video acting violently during disorder which had broken out following a peaceful protest outside the hotel, which housed asylum seekers, on July 17.
These types of hate crimes, combined with the growing popularity of several prominent far-right hate preachers, many UK Muslims fear that a bloody attack on the community remains a very real possibility.
