Race Attack Probe After White Woman Hit

A WHITE woman was punched in the face by an Asian man in what police are treating as a racially-motivated attack.

The 44-year-woman was treated at the new Edinburgh Royal Infirmary for a suspected broken jaw after she was punched by the man.

The attacker was said to have called her a “white bitch” and threatened to burn her house down. The assault took place after the victim asked the man to s revving his car engine outside her in Meadowfield Gardens, Duddingston, in the early hours of the morning.

Police said the man, who is described as being in his mid-20s, verbally abused the woman in the run-up to the assault.

A spokesman for Lothian and Borders Police said: “We are treating this incident as being of a racist nature and we would appeal to anyone who may have seen the incident or remembers the revving of a car engine to contact police.”

The incident happened after the woman was woken by the sound of music and a car engine revving loudly at around 12.30am on Saturday. After listening to the commotion for around 20 minutes, the woman decided to confront the driver of the silver BMW parked outside her house.

When she asked him to quieten down, the man began shouting and swearing at her before assaulting her. The punch knocked the woman to the ground where she lay bleeding before making her way back into her and contacting police.

The woman then made her own way to hospital where X-rays showed that she had not suffered any facial fractures.

But doctors had to remove several teeth and treat severe cuts to her gums and lips and swelling around her mouth and nose.

The victim’s son said: “My mum was sleeping in bed when a car outside started revving its engine.

“It had one of those loud exhausts that some cars have and the guy was also blasting music.

“My mum walked out to the car and knocked on the window and asked him to turn the music down, but he ignored her.

“She knocked on the window again, then the guy jumped out and said: ‘You white bitch, I’m going to burn your house down’. He then punched her in the mouth, before jumping back in his car and driving off. He was an Asian man, and I don’t think he lives round here. We’ve never had any problems like this before.

“We called the police who have been very helpful, but we don’t know if this man will be found.”

Neighbours said they had been left shocked at the unprovoked attack. One resident, who asked not to be named, said: “It was a total shock to hear that this has happened, the girl is in such a mess and all for nothing.

The police spokesman added: “A member of the public was woken up by the sound of a car engine revving loudly.

“After 20 minutes, she approached the car to ask the man inside to turn down the noise.

“However, he got out of the car and verbally abused the woman and then punched her in the mouth. She attended the new ERI where she was treated for injuries to her face.”