The worst of Worcester

If you are of Pakistani origin, there are few less desirable places to live in Britain than this pretty cathedral city.

Think of Worcester and a vision of a pretty cathedral, rolling hills and the famous Malvern natural springs would probably come to the mind of Guardian readers. It would be no surprise to them that Worcester was named the 14th most desirable area to live in Britain in the recent Affordable Affluence Index.

A fascinating aspect of my job as a reporter at Eastern Eye is to learn how stark the difference is between assumption and reality - and none more so than in Worcester. The truth is, if you are British Pakistani or Pakistan-born male, there are few less desirable places to live in Britain than Worcester.

Why? The following brutal attacks have occurred on Pakistani taxi drivers in recent times:

• A driver was doused with petrol and set on fire.
• Another was left with psychological problems after being smashed over the head with a metal bar.
• Another was almost choked to death with his seatbelt.
• Another was stabbed and left for dead.
• In yet another incident, a driver suffered severe facial injuries after being lured by his passengers into a quiet cul-de-sac.

Worcester is a case study in exposing the extent of racism that still exists in middle Britain, the illusion of inclusion, and the failure of the authorities to deal with the problem. After all, Worcester City Council is still considering whether to put CCTV in taxis, despite years of lobbying by drivers.

Pakistanis make up a tiny minority in Worcester, 1,200 out of its population of about 93,000. Sadly, they have given up reporting the regular racist crimes to the police because the perception is that few convictions ever occur. Instead they now contact me, asking that Eastern Eye highlight their plight in the hope of pushing the apathetic local authorities to act.

This has confirmed my growing opinion that the smaller the number of Asians in comparison to whites in a city, the more fearful Asians are of racism; no wonder there's a trend for Asians to live together rather than to live among whites.

Some of the community I spoke to blame the British National Party for ratcheting-up racial tensions through leaflets that complain migrant workers take up jobs previously held by "British" students. Others warn of the Islamification of Britain and appeal for an end to new mosques in the city. Pakistanis claim that the attacks follow terrorism-related stories that appear in the media; it gives white racists an excuse to relieve their frustration on innocent cab drivers. Only this summer a CS gas canister was thrown into Worcester Central Mosque.

Pakistanis here do not hang around in groups, or hide away in mosques mumbling to one other in urdu. They are not, to use Trevor Phillips' words, sleepwalking into segregation.

But this lack of segregation is likely to change in time judging by the comments in heard in Worcester. There are about 250 Pakistani drivers out of the 311 in the Worcester Taxi Association. They perform a vital public service yet are denied the basic human right of being able to work without fear for their safety. What makes the situation in Worcester more appalling is the brutality of the attacks. Having stones, bricks, and even a crow bar hurled at their taxis' windows has become a common experience for drivers as have jibes such as "Abdul", "Bin Laden", and "Here comes the Taliban".

The attacks bear a chilling resemblance to the racially aggravated murder of taxi driver Mohammad Parvaiz in Huddersfield last year. In February four white men, who were armed with stones, bricks, and fence posts on the night of his killing, were jailed for his murder.

When I mentioned the police to taxi drivers, there were looks of resignation and scorn: "We're not a priority", "They're only interested in extremists", "All the police say is 'we're too busy'." The taxi drivers are in an untenable position as they cannot carry a weapon or defend themselves for fear of having their licence taken away, thus losing their livelihood. Their view is rooted in the lack of a high-profile conviction for racist attacks in the city.

The police and council will cite initiatives such as a forum set up this year for drivers to report attacks. But perceptions are crucial to race relations.

It is easy to knock the police without considering the lack of resources, officers' workloads and the endless forms they must fill in. But there should be clear policies in an effort to engage with minority communities, not just gimmicks. The scandalous attitude of Worcester's Racial Equality Council (WREC) sums up the isolation felt by Pakistanis. Despite numerous phone calls and e-mails, I was told WREC was "too busy with other matters" to spare a few moments to speak about what work they are doing to ease racial tensions. In principal it is a good idea for racial equality councils to be set-up regionally, but the fact that no one from the community mentioned them, questions how effective they really are.

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