A man is scheduled to appear in court after being accused of racially abusing a Labour Party canvasser. The alleged incident took place on Sunday, February 1, at around 8:35 PM on Victory Avenue in Southport, when a canvasser knocked on a door.
According to reports, the canvasser was subjected to verbal abuse involving racial slurs and was spat upon while at the property. Merseyside Police identified two suspects and arrested two men on Wednesday, February 4.
A 20-year-old man from Southport was arrested on suspicion of racially aggravated Section 4 public order and Section 39 assault. A 56-year-old man from the same area was arrested on suspicion of racially aggravated Section 4 public order.
In an update released on June 11, the police confirmed that Ryan Ball, 21, of Victory Avenue, has been charged with causing racially or religiously aggravated intentional harassment, alarm, or distress, as well as racially or religiously aggravated common assault. He is due to appear at Manchester Magistrates Court on Thursday, July 7.
The Liverpool Echo understands that no further action will be taken against the second man arrested in connection with the incident.
Authorities urge anyone with information to contact Merseyside Police via their social media desk on X @MerPolCC, on Facebook at 'Merseyside Police Contact Centre', through the force's website, or by calling 101. Alternatively, the independent charity Crimestoppers can be contacted anonymously on 0800 555 111 or via their website.
For those who prefer not to report a hate crime to the police, the independent charity Stop Hate UK operates a 24/7 confidential helpline for all victims of hate crime at 0800 138 1625 or through their website. The Stop Hate UK reporting app is also available on Google Play and the Apple App Store.
In an emergency, always call 999.
