Family speaks out to prevent racist backlash (From The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald)

Family speaks out to prevent racist backlash

Artist's impressionHAYLEY TRAGEDY: THE family of Hayley Richards have spoken out to try and stop a racist backlash against the Portuguese community.

Police have issued an artist's impression, left, of one of the men wanted in connection with a racially-motivated incident in Trowbridge they fear was a reaction to the murder of the 23-year-old waitress and the massive police hunt for her Portuguese born boyfriend, Hugo Quintas.

In a statement released on Tuesday Miss Richards' brother Paul said: "We want to say again that our family have no problems with Portuguese people in this area and Hayley would have felt the same."

Businesses in the town have also condemned anyone who would use this tragedy as an excuse to racially harass others.

There are a large number of foreign workers in Trowbridge, including 150 Portuguese immigrants, and the town has a diverse population including well-integrated Polish and Moroccan communities.

Andrew Huxham of Partners Employment, Church Walk, said: "We deplore racism in any shape or form and as far as I am aware we have not had any racist incidents involving our clients. This is not a racist area and I have had no experience of racism in Trowbridge I think (the incident) is outrageous."

Paul Freeston, chief executive of Canal Road food firm apetito said: "apetito is an equal opportunities employer and whole heartedly condemns racism in any form."

The incident took place on June 14, just three days after Hayley's body was discovered at her Carders Corner flat.

At about 5pm on June 14 two men leant through the window at the College Road home of a woman of Portuguese origin and threatened her using racially abusive language.

Police brought in extra community support offices and stepped up foot patrols in the area at the weekend in reaction to the incident.

Detective Constable Trevor Abbot of Wiltshire Police said: "I would like to emphasise this type of verbal abuse is totally unacceptable."