Landlady stands up to racists

Ms Williams took over the country pub last June

A Bristol landlady who is at the centre of a racist hate campaign says she refuses to be intimidated.

Emily Williams and her partner Steen Kokborg took over the Retreat in Long Ashton, near Bristol, last June and run the bar and restaurant.

Vandals have severely damaged Ms Williams's car, scratching obscene messages into the paintwork and puncturing all four tyres.

Problems started after the couple ejected some troublemakers from the bar.

All four tyres of the car were slashed

They say a small number of people are terrorising parts of the village, and that racism is just the latest weapon being used against them.

"They've taken a brick or stone and scratched along every single panel of the vehicle, slashed all the tyres, pulled off the windscreen wipers at the back and written across the bonnet," Ms Williams said.

"The crime in Long Ashton continues on a constant basis and people don't feel that they are able to do anything about it, because of intimidation by those who commit the crimes in the first place."

Mr Kokborg added: "It's an element which is here and I am not going to walk away from it. I am here to stay."

An Avon and Somerset Police spokesman said: "We are dealing with this as a racist incident, although, having said that, there were other vehicles nearby which were damaged as well."