Barry student is victim of 'racist attack' in Blackpool (From Barry And District News)

Barry student is victim of 'racist attack' in Blackpool

7:50am Thursday 27th September 2012 in News By Sharon Harris

A BARRY student has spoken of his disgust, after he was left battered and bruised after an alleged racist incident while on a trip to Blackpool.

Sammi Assayed, whose father was born in Jordan, visited the famous seaside resort at the weekend - and claims he was subjected to derogatory comments and, on his second night out at a club, beaten up by a group of young men.

The 20-year-old, who is studying public service at Cardiff & Vale College to further his ambitions of joining the police force, said he was advised not to report the matter by club staff.

Sammi said: "I was told that if I left it, it would die down, but at the moment of the attack the club did not do much with medical help - all they did was record my bruises on a piece of paper.

"They did not even offer a taxi. "I had gone to Blackpool for the weekend as I was told it was a good place to visit, but never have I met with such racism."

Sammi said that on his first night in the resort, he and a friend were dancing at a club 'minding their own business'.

"I started dancing with a girl, when all of a sudden she refused to dance with me and walked outside for a smoke," he said.

"I asked if I had done anything wrong, and she simply looked at me and said 'I don't dance with people of your kind - I advise you to leave and go somewhere else or my friends will beat you up'."

He said the next evening at another club, he helped a woman pay her entrance fee - she thanked him and asked where he was from, and then made a derogatory and racist comment.

"I ignored the comment and later went to another club," said Sammi.

"I went to the smoking area, and there was a group of men aged around 20 to 25.

"One guy stopped talking and said 'it's Asif'.

"I said 'who's Asif?', and he replied 'Asif you're British'. "Then he said 'you're all the same, you terrorist (using racist words first), go blow something up and get out my country'.

"I told him 'I'm Welsh, born in Wales and my mother is Welsh', but he replied 'even worse - you're all the same'."

Sammi claims the group then assaulted him, punching and kicking while shouting racist abuse. "They then walked off," he said.

"I told the security guard but the bouncer simply went to the boys and asked them nicely to leave."

Sammi says that he and his friend were left shaken by the whole incident.

"I am shocked," he said.

"I have lived in Wales all my life and welcomed English people as brothers in Wales, and made them feel welcome, and not once have I been given a racial comment.

"I am disgusted that there are still such small-minded people around."