Shopowner quits after 'race hell'

Mal Hussain says he 'relentlessly campaigned against the attacks'

A shopkeeper in Lancashire is leaving his mini-market after more than a decade of racial abuse.

Mal Hussain and his business partner, Linda Livingstone, have sold their store on the city's Ryelands Estate in Lancaster which they bought in 1991.

He said that after "14 years of hell" he felt betrayed by the "institutions who are supposed to protect those who suffer in the hands of racists".

Lancaster City Council said it had endeavoured to address the problems.

National attention

The National Assembly Against Racism (NAAR) said that since Mr Hussain moved to the estate in 1991, he had recorded more than 4,000 separate incidents of racism.

These included a firebomb attack on the shop and being shot at with live bullets.

His case has attracted national attention with the establishing of a Friends of Mal Hussain campaign.

NAAR said that of the thousands of incidents reported to the police, only a fraction were taken to court, despite the severity and consistency of the racist attacks.

This case represents one of the most serious and sustained acts of racist violence in recent history Lee Jasper, Secretary of NAAR

Lee Jasper, Secretary of NAAR, said: "Mal and Linda did not want to leave the Ryelands estate after having built such a successful business.

"The news of Mal and Linda's departure from the estate comes as an indictment on the record of the Lancashire Constabulary and the city council's abject failure to enforce existing legislation, which provides them with the powers to prosecute racists.

"It is a credit to Mal and Linda for their tenacity and courage for standing firm in the face of extreme racism and violence. This case represents one of the most serious and sustained acts of racist violence in recent history."

Mr Hussain said: "I relentlessly campaigned against the attacks I have experienced because racists cannot be allowed to get away with their acts of violence and harassment. This is a sad day for us."

Lancaster City Council said it had tried to deal with the problem since becoming aware of the harassment and there had been a "significant reduction in the number of racial incidents reported to the council relating to Mr Hussain and Ms Livingstone".

It said it had "developed its policies and practice in dealing with racist and antisocial behaviour" and that while the experiences of Mr Hussain and Ms Livingstone were "unacceptable" they believed them to be "wholly exceptional in Lancaster".

The new owner of the store is Paramjit Singh who said he was "happy to be on the Ryelands" estate.