Hate crime probe hitting 'confidence' in police

Cumbria Police said the investigation into an alleged hate crime against a black student was "complex"

Trust and confidence in the police is being harmed due to the time it is taking to investigate an alleged hate crime, an anti-racism charity says.

In March, a video appeared online seeming to show a black teenage boy in Carlisle being pushed and punched by a white boy, before being made to kiss his shoes.

Cumbria Police said inquiries remained "ongoing in relation to the aggravated hate crime" and four teenagers who were arrested remain on bail.

Anti Racist Cumbria said the length of time the investigation is taking is adding to community concerns.

The video was recorded on 15 March in the Upperby area and involved at least one child from St John Henry Newman Catholic School.

Janett Walker, CEO and co-founder of Anti Racist Cumbria, said: "When incidents take a long time to be investigated, who do you turn to?

"If something happens to me now, do I feel confident to call the police? Are they really going to help?"

'Difficult to understand'

The team at the charity said the incident itself and other examples of everyday, less overt racism, plus rioting elsewhere in the country over the summer, had been causing anxiety.

"It's very difficult for communities to understand, when you have got such overt evidence, what can possibly be taking so long; and that's where the worry comes in," Ms Walker said.

Cumbria Police described the investigation as "complex", adding: "These complexities include ages of the victim and suspects, the identification and level of involvement of multiple potential suspects and the gathering and reviewing of significant amount of evidence from seized devices and social media."

The force said the serious nature of the case and wider public interest means "it is incumbent on the police to ensure that the investigation is thorough and complete".