Arrests after man racially abused in 'shocking' attack

Officers have been carrying out extra patrols in the area

A man in his 50s has been assaulted and racially abused during a "shocking incident", police have said.

Officers were called to reports of an altercation on Dunster Crescent in Weston-super-Mare at 19:00 BST on Monday.

A second call was received at 22:29 after a person was seen throwing an object at a parked car, which then caught fire.

Police arrested a man, 34, on suspicion of racially-aggravated assault and arson, and arrested a woman, 37, on suspicion of racially-aggravated public order.

The pair, who are both from Weston, remain in police custody.

Neighbourhood Ch Insp Jonathan Murray said: "This was a shocking incident and one which we're treating incredibly seriously.

"There can never be any excuse for hate crime or violence in any shape or form and this criminality will not be tolerated.

"The victim is being supported by officers and detectives as well as our partner agencies and we will continue to keep them updated as our investigation progresses.

"Officers have been carrying out extra patrols in the area following Monday's incident and these will continue this week."