Chesterfield woman of Chinese origin suffers racist abuse during coronavirus crisis

The woman, who we are not naming, says she has been abused twice in Chesterfield since the Government lockdown was put in place.

She said on one occasion two young men approached her on bikes and one coughed in her face.

Chesterfield MP Toby Perkins says he is ‘not willing to live in a town that tolerates racism’ and has informed police who are investigating the incidents as hate crimes.

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Labour MP Mr Perkins says he is determined Chinese people in the town do not become the latest ethnic group to be made scapegoats.

“We don’t want to see division in our town,” he said. “Some of the comments I have seen about the Chinese government are ill-informed but it is quite another thing to racially abuse a woman born in Chesterfield because she happens to be of Chinese origin.

“It is as stupid as it is racist and illegal, and is being treated as a hate crime.

“More than ever at this time we need solidarity and to look out for each other and not find things which divide us. Racism is never the answer to anything and it certainly isn’t the answer to coronavirus.

“We can’t let up in the fight against racism because there are still people who hold these views.

“It is so damaging to social cohesion.”