Birmingham doorman 'helpless and unprepared for racist abuse'

Tristan Price said he was trained to deal with violence but not racist abuse

A doorman who was allegedly racially abused outside a Birmingham bar says he felt "helpless" and "completely unprepared" for such an incident.

Tristan Price was working at The Figure of Eight in Broad Street on Saturday evening when a woman confronted him.

He said he was trained to deal with violence, and had already had a knife pulled on him, but not racist abuse.

A 24-year-old woman from Worcester arrested on suspicion of racial abuse has been released on bail.

The confrontation was filmed and has since has been viewed more than three million times.

A video clip of a woman using racist language and shoving the doorman has been viewed more than three million times

Mr Price told BBC News he felt "shame" to be subjected to so much abuse with so many people around.

"It just made me feel small," he said.

"If I'm being physically attacked, I'm allowed to, obviously, defend myself, but against a verbal attack, you're literally not allowed to do anything.

"I felt like I was being attacked, it was just weird feeling of being attacked and being helpless."

• BBC Sounds: Doorman says he felt helpless

After the incident, he said he carried on with his shift although he felt like he just wanted to go home.

He said this was the first time he had experienced racist abuse while working in security.

"During [the] training course you're prepared for people to come up to you with weapons, a bottle or a knife but nothing on the course prepares you for being attacked the way I had been attacked.

"It's just something you're completely unprepared for."

He said he was unsure whether to upload the video and felt "a little bit more positive" following the volume of support he had received, including from stars like Rio Ferdinand and Alison Hammond.