Minority ethnic families in Kent are living in a state of near-siege by racist neighbours, according to local councillor Karen Constantine. The warning comes as Home Office figures show recorded hate crimes in the county have quadrupled since 2013–14, far outpacing the national doubling over the same period.
Ayaan Bulale, who moved to Margate four and a half years ago, said her family has faced frequent racism, including a violent assault on her then 14-year-old daughter. 'The racism here is subtle. It's ignorance,' she said. 'People talking to you might use words like “coloured” and think it's completely normal.'
Kaz Peet, 56, said the racism experienced by her mixed-race daughter is driving them out of Ramsgate. 'It has been a journey through absolute hell,' she said. 'If I had known that we were going to go through this then there was no way we would have moved here.'
Peter St Ange, a former serviceman and child of Windrush-generation parents, is transforming his cafe in Walmer into a support centre for hate crime victims. 'Kent obviously has a reputation and you have the home of Ukip up the road,' he said. 'There is racism but we have an opportunity. You can't always rely on the police – who do their best. The community have to create their own platforms.'
Ch Supt Andy Pritchard from Kent police said the force had been working to address under-reporting and that the increase in reports 'indicates that more people have trust and confidence to report it'. He added that there had been significant improvement in how hate crime was recorded.
