Man in a van grabbed and threatened disabled person in shocking "hate crime" attack in Northampton

Police are treating an unprovoked attack on a wheelchair user on a Northampton industrial estate as a hate crime.

Officers revealed the victim was confronted by a man who got out of a silver van in Gladstone Road on Friday afternoon (May 29) then began abusing and threatening the wheelchair user.

A Northamptonshire Police spokesman said: "The victim was using a wheelchair to travel along Gladstone Road, when a man got out of a silver van and started being verbally abusive about the victim’s disability. The offender then grabbed hold of the wheelchair and shook it, threatening to push the victim out of it.

"The incident took place in Gladstone Road, opposite Hullabaloo, on Friday, May 29, between 2pm and 2.30pm.

"Officers investigating this assault would like to speak to anyone who may have witnessed the incident or who may have any information regarding it. Witnesses or anyone with information can call police on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111 using incident number: 20000273256."

The Crown Prosecution Service says the term 'hate crime' covers a range of offences where the perpetrator is motivated by hostility or demonstrates hostility towards the victim's disability, race, religion, sexual orientation or transgender identity.

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