Three men have been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder after a Filipino crew member of a cargo ship was attacked in what police described as a hate crime. Two other men, both also from the Philippines, were also assaulted during the attack involving a large group of people in Avonmouth, near Bristol, on Friday evening.
Police have arrested two men aged 19 and 45, as well as a 17-year-old boy, on suspicion of attempted murder and confirmed they had received reports of racist language being used during the incident. They remain in custody, as well as a 38-year-old woman arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender.
What happened in Avonmouth?
Emergency services were called to Richmond Terrace, close to Avonmouth Docks, at about 20:30 BST, Avon and Somerset Police said. One man was taken to hospital with serious injuries and he remains in a critical condition.
A second crew member, of the cargo ship that recently docked at Avonmouth, also required treatment but has since been discharged from hospital, while a third suffered minor injuries.
Forensic and police teams are still at the scene in Avonmouth.
Why are police treating this as a hate crime?
Supt Deepak Kenth confirmed all three men were Filipino nationals and said there had been a
"suggestion racist language was directed towards at least one of the victims during the attack".
Therefore, he said, police were
"treating this as a suspected hate crime at this point, pending further information coming to light".
He also addressed speculation online that the injuries were caused by a knife or similar weapon, but said this was not the case.
What have police said about public safety?
Supt Kenth said:
"While the full circumstances around what happened remain unconfirmed and under investigation, based on our current understanding we believe this to be an isolated incident and there to be no wider risk to public safety."
A police spokesperson added the force had made Stand Against Racism & Inequality (SARI) aware and it was helping provide support to the victims.
Police are appealing for anyone with further information about what happened to get in touch.
How can people share information?
Police are asking anyone with further information about what happened to contact them.
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Key Facts
- Three men have been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder after an attack in Avonmouth, near Bristol, on Friday evening.
- The victims were all Filipino nationals, and police said reports of racist language were made during the incident.
- One man remains in a critical condition in hospital, a second has been discharged, and a third suffered minor injuries.
- A 38-year-old woman was also arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender.
- Avon and Somerset Police said the incident is being treated as a suspected hate crime and appears to be isolated.
