A 37-year-old man from Milton Keynes taken into custody after expectant mother was kicked in alleged racist attack

This article is more than 4 years old

This article is more than 4 years old

Police hunting an alleged racist attacker whose assault on a pregnant woman led to the death of her unborn child have arrested a man.

Thames Valley police said the arrest was made on Wednesday. A 37-year-old man from Milton Keynes was detained on suspicion of racially aggravated assault and remains in custody.

Police said the 34-year-old woman was racially abused in a Co-op supermarket in Milton Keynes before being followed to her car by the attacker. She was kicked in the torso, knocking her to the ground.

Police said the woman lost her unborn child as a result of the assault, which happened at about 9.40pm on 6 August.

The incident has been logged as a racially and religiously aggravated crime. Police declined to give the ethnicity or religion of the victim.

A 40-year-old man was also attacked during the incident. He was hit over the head with a bag of ice and a bottle and needed hospital treatment.

Police had released a CCTV image of a man they wanted to speak to in connection with the incident on Water Eaton Road, in the Bletchley area of Milton Keynes.

Launching the appeal on Tuesday, PC Richard Armitage said: “This racially aggravated assault had absolutely devastating consequences for the victim, who lost her baby as a result of the attack. Our thoughts are with her and her family at this incredibly difficult and sad time.”

Nada Piradeepan, who lives opposite the scene of the attack, said there had been trouble with racism in the area in the past. When a mosque opened on the site of a former pub several years ago, it was daubed with graffiti and a demonstration had taken place, he said.

Weeks ago, Piradeepan had found a man trying to get into his garden early in the morning. “We spotted them and they started arguing with us and at one point they said, ‘This is English country, go back to your country,’” he said.

The Muslim Council of Britain condemned the attack. Harun Khan, its secretary general, said: “As a father of three young daughters, I am completely shocked and saddened to hear of such a horrific and cowardly attack on a vulnerable woman in our society today. My thoughts and prayers are with both the victims, especially for the lady, who has now lost a child as a result of hatred and xenophobia.

“We need strong action now from the authorities to show that they are taking all hate crimes seriously, including Islamophobia, which findings show has increased in recent times, especially post-Brexit.”

