Appeal following hate incident in South Oxhey

Officers are appealing for witnesses and information following a hate incident in South Oxhey.

On Wednesday 27 April, at around 9pm, the victim was subjected to homophobic verbal abuse while standing outside of Londis in Little Oxhey Lane.

There were two alleged offenders, who were both white teenage boys. One was believed to be around 13 years old and was roughly 5ft 2ins tall, and the other was believed to be around 17 years old. They were also with a white woman.

PCSO Ross Huegdon said: “This incident has understandably left the victim shaken up. We have already conducted extensive enquiries, and are now turning to the public to ask for their help. If you witnessed the incident, or if you have any information, please get in touch. Even something that may seem minor or insignificant could be key to progressing our investigation.

“Hertfordshire is generally a safe and tolerant county, like anywhere else, crimes and incidents motivated by hatred can occur. We have specially trained hate crime officers, who work to tackle and challenge these incidents, educate people and support those who have been affected.

“Hate crimes include assaults, threats or acts of vandalism, or any other crime committed against someone because of their disability, race, religion, transgender identity or sexual orientation. Hate crimes and incidents can have a severe impact on the victim and on the wider community in which they occur and will absolutely not be tolerated in Hertfordshire.  Any incidents reported to police will be taken seriously and dealt with sensitively. Please, don’t ignore hate - report it.”

You can email PCSO Huegdon, report information online, use online web chat, or call our non-emergency number 101 quoting reference 41/33548/22.

Alternatively you can contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or visit their website (opens in new window).

You can use our community voice platform ‘echo’ to let us know what you think we should be prioritising in your area. Your feedback will help towards shaping our local policing priorities, initiatives and campaigns. Visit Herts echo (opens in new window) and tell us what you think.

Please don’t use echo to report an ongoing crime or incident. Remember: if you believe a crime is in progress or someone is in danger, always dial 999.

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