Bristol: Police treating city centre assault on teen as homophobic crime
Police have released an image of a man they want to speak to in connection with a homophobic assault on a teenager in Bristol.
The 17-year-old victim was with friends in McDonald’s in Merchant Street, at around 3.55pm on Saturday 11 January when they became aware of a man staring at them.
When they were outside Select Fashion in Broadmead, a man approached them from behind and pushed the victim in the back.
The assailant used homophobic language before slapping the teenager in the face.
Police in Bristol are now calling on the public to help them find a man, described as white with blond hair. He was wearing a dark top with a yellow t-shirt underneath and dark jeans. He had a pair of sunglasses on top of his head.
PC Richard Glanville said: “We are treating this as a hate crime because of the language the man used towards the victim during the assault.
“It is completely unacceptable to use homophobic language and we take incidents like this extremely seriously.
“I would like anyone who recognises the man in the image, or who witnessed the assault outside Select, to come forward.”
Members of the public with information should call 101 and quote log number 3651/14.
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