Edinburgh: Sikh teenager's hair cut in racist attack

In a case of racial assault, a group of white youths attacked a Sikh teenager and clipped his hair in a public park in the Scottish capital of Edinburgh. 

The 15-year-old, who has not been named, was attacked by four youths in Pilrig Park on Tuesday evening in what
police have described as an unprovoked and sustained assault.

He was initially subjected to racist verbal abuse from the gang, police said, before being knocked to the ground.

When the teenager's turban came off, the gang cut his hair - an act considered highly offensive to the Sikh community.

"At around 7.30 pm on Tuesday evening, the 15-year-old victim entered Pilrig Park via Balfour Place, Edinburgh where he was initially subjected to verbal racial abuse from a group of four young white males who were standing near the Pilrig Primary School," a police spokesman said.

"The victim, for no apparent reason, was thereafter set upon by the group, who violently punched and kicked him to the ground. The young victim has clearly been terrorised by the actions of these males," the spokesman said. 

"The persons responsible for this attack made off across Pilrig Park, exiting into Pilrig Street, where they then ran off in the direction of Leith Walk," the spokesman said.

Police said although the teenager did not need hospital treatment, he was left terrified by the attack.

"This was an extremely distressing attack on a young member of our community, who has been left traumatised by this incident," the spokesman said.

The four suspects are thought to be around 16 years old.