Moreton man taunted by racist thugs

12:08pm Saturday 5th July 2008

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By Emma Tilley »

RACIST thugs are making a Moreton man's life a misery by repeatedly vandalising his car.

Danny Mendoza, of Station Road, described the past year as a nightmare he fears will never end.

"I wanted to start a new life around here but it doesn’t help with people giving me trouble."

Danny Mendoza

And he has hit out at police for failing to take his situation seriously.

Danny lives with his girlfriend Jane Dempster, who is eight months pregnant, and recently moved to Moreton from Upper Slaughter because of a campaign of racist taunts and abuse.

But he said within a week of relocating a tin of paint was poured over his Citroen Saxo. A week later his car was targetted with pink nail varnish.

"It started when I used to hang around Stow-on-the-Wold and my brother came home and told me there was a gang of people being racist to him," said Danny, who is originally from The Phillipines.

"One day I went to see one of them to ask why he was doing this and that is when the trouble turned on me."

Mr Mendoza said the gang were from Bourton-on-the-Water and ranged in age between 18 and 27.

"Every time I walked down the street people called me names, they were racist insults, and I had never met any of them before," he said.

On one occassion he was even chased by a baseball bat-wielding thug who smashed the windows of Mr Mendoza's car.

But he believes the police will not get involved because he has a previous criminal conviction.

"I wanted to start a new life around here but it doesn't help with people giving me trouble and the police bringing up the past," he said.

"The police always tell me there is not enough evidence. If I had done something wrong the police would be on me like a tonne of bricks."

Alexandra Macrae, chief executive of the Race Equality Council for Gloucestershire rural racism was as major problem.

"The problems that these communities face with regards to social cohesion are different from those in the bigger cities where there are different ethnicities.

But a police spokesman assured the Standard the matter was being treated seriously.

"There is an investigation ongoing," he added. "Any information that we have been given will be looked at as part of the investigation and we would appeal for any witnesses to these events to come forward."

If anyone has any information on these incidents call police on 0845 090 1234.