Rise In Race Crimes Linked To Attacks On Poles

A growing number of attacks on Polish bar workers is being blamed for race hate crimes rising to record levels in Edinburgh.

Police are now dealing with an average of three racist incidents every day after another increase in complaints of abuse and attacks. Bar staff and doormen from eastern Europe are now among the most common victims.

Every weekend, police are called to incidents in which the workers, usually from Poland, have been physically assaulted because of their nationality or have faced racist insults.

The increase follows the attack on Polish worker Patryk Mnich, who was left fighting for his life after being beaten in a street attack in Pilrig. In total, police dealt with 1,022 racist incidents in Lothian and the Borders in the 12 months up to 1 April this year – double the amount recorded three years ago, a new report shows.

More than a third of the 900 race hate crimes in Edinburgh took place in the city centre, and most of those involved Eastern European victims.

PC Kevin Lawson, a crime prevention officer specialising in racist crime, said: “There has been a big increase in reports of racial crimes involving people from Eastern European countries, especially Poland, who have moved to Edinburgh in recent years.

“A lot of them work in the night-time economy, in bars and clubs as barmen and doormen. They are getting racial abuse from people who have had too much to drink.”

The attack on Mr Mnich in February shocked the city and the Polish community across Scotland. He remains in hospital today – nearly four months after the attack – but has been moved from the Western General to the Astley Ainslie Hospital to recuperate. NHS Lothian said yesterday his condition was “stable”. A 26-year-old man has appeared in court charged with attempted murder in connection with the attack.

An estimated 35,000 Polish workers have moved to Edinburgh in the past three years in the biggest mass migration the city has seen for decades.

Nina Giles, director of the Edinburgh and Lothians Race Equality Council, called for action to tackle the problem.

She said: “We see signs in hospitals, buses and trains saying that aggressive behaviour will not be tolerated. Perhaps we should have a similar campaign to tackle racist behaviour in bars and clubs.”

Police are now looking into setting up a remote reporting site specifically for Polish people.

The initiative, at Polish community centre Swietlica on Leith’s North Fort Street, would allow victims of crime to report incidents to police anonymously through third parties. But Karol Chojnowski, general manager of the Haymarket-based portal for the Polish community www.szkocja.net said he did not believe anti-Polish sentiments were rife in Edinburgh.

Mr Chojnowski, who has been based in Edinburgh for eight years, said he had never been subjected to racism. He added: “Unfortunately, there are people who will give abuse to bar staff regardless of whether they are from eastern Europe or if they are local.”

Nearly 70 per cent of hate crime is cleared up, compared to just over 40 per cent of general crime.