Yorkshire man left 'angry and isolated' after three targeted hate crime attacks

Naj Modak, 42, was targeted on three occasions by different groups in the space of three weeks in separate racist attacks.

The screen actor said: "I don't really want to talk about hate crime, however I feel it is my duty to as people are feeling less comfortable with fighting back against hate on the streets.

"I feel like I have stepped back 20 years ago as you don't expect something like this to happen now."

Mr Modak, who is originally from Bradford but moved to Scunthorpe, has spoken out following a rise in the number of hate crime offences across Yorkshire and the Humber.

He said: "I was walking along the street when a young gentleman approached me with a girl and a child in a pushchair.

"I was about to go round the corner and he jumped in front of me and started calling me racist names, I thought he was going to attack me, but his girlfriend pulled him away."

A second incident saw a group of males make bomb gestures to Mr Modak as he walked along the street.

The third hate crime attack happened when Mr Modak was walking to a kick boxing class.

He said: "A car pulled up to me and they started shouting racial abuse at me.

"At one point it looked like they were going to get out the car."

Mr Modak also told the Yorkshire Post that some of his friends have also had glass bottles thrown at them in separate hate crime attacks.

He said: "All of this has left me feeling angry, disappointed, isolated and not part of my own community.

"I feel isolated and that I am on my own."

He said officers encouraged and supported him, but says the "lack or resources and inconsistent Home Office guidelines" meant officers were unable to deliver on the promise of taking hate crime seriously.

He said: "While the local police have been committed to seeking justice, the lack of support and clarity from the Home Office led to the situation where I was told by text that what happened wasn't a hate crime.

"I can't explain how that made me feel having taken the time to reluctantly report it.

"I don't blame the local force. Under the new local leadership and under a stretched resource they have improved dramatically. They encouraged me to report the crimes. They took the crimes seriously, however the lack of resources and inconsistent Home Office guidelines meant officer's were unable to deliver on the promise of taking hate crime seriously.

"All three hate crimes were unpunished due to the above battle."

He then approached his own MP Nic Dakin for help who in turn took up the matter with Prime Minister Theresa May.

Mr Dakin said: "I have known Naj for some time and was saddened to hear about the racial abuse he has had to put up with, no one regardless of race, gender or sexuality should be targeted in this way. "

Mr Dakin added that police are working hard to tackle hate crime, but are "frustrated" by the lack of support from the Home Office in being able to categorise the incidents as hate crimes.

He said: "Unfortunately Theresa May neither as Prime Minister or during her time in the Home Office tightened the rules and guidelines as to what constitutes these crimes.

"Thankfully we have local campaigners like Naj who despite being a victim of some hateful crimes continues to lobby police and politicians and support other members of his community who are experiencing the same issues he has."

The Home Office has been contacted for a statement.