Chinese people targeted over coronavirus

There have been nine hate crime cases recorded against Chinese people or those of Chinese descent since January, West Midlands Police confirmed.

The coronavirus outbreak originated in the Chinese city of Wuhan before spreading across the world.

It's believed most, if not all, of the incidents happened in Birmingham, which has a large Chinese population.

There were reports of the Chinese community being targeted in Birmingham as awareness of coronavirus began to grow.

West Midlands Police confirmed there were seven verbal and two physical attacks on Chinese people.

It follows reports of people spitting and coughing at police officers and shop workers and claiming they have Covid-19.

The despicable actions have been widely condemned by police chiefs, who will have powers to take tough action against people threatening to spread the virus.

Detective Inspector Mark Longden, from West Midlands Police, said: “Retail staff are being asked to work and support our communities during this extraordinary time. We are committed to supporting essential workers and anyone suspected of jeopardising their safety will be dealt with robustly.”

It comes after the Express & Star revealed racism offences had risen every year in the West Midlands since 2014.

Wolverhampton councillor and former city mayor Milkinder Jaspal said he was saddened by the increase in offences and that "some people will always hold racist views".