News

A man has been arrested over an alleged racist tweet aimed at Marcus Rashford

A man has been arrested after allegedly tweeting racist abuse to Manchester United and England forward Marcus Rashford.

The Manc The Manc - 13th July 2021

A man has been arrested after allegedly tweeting racist abuse to Manchester United and England forward Marcus Rashford.

The man, who is yet to be named by West Mercia Police, is from Powick, near Worcester, and was detained on suspicion of inciting racial hatred following reports of an inappropriate tweet posted after England’s defeat to Italy on Sunday night.

The 50-year-old has now been released from custody but remains under investigation.

Marcus Rashford posts statement following loss to Italy

Inspector Pete Nightingale, from Worcester police, stated: “We encourage people to make these reports and are pleased with the speed at which we have been able to deal with this incident.

“We continue to work with the local football community and have links with the local clubs to ensure that this behaviour is dealt with appropriately.”

ADVERTISEMENT

News of an arrest follows 24-hours of upheaval across England as football fans and communities alike stand up against the racist abuse Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho and Bukayo Saka received following their penalty shootout misses in Sunday’s final.

The England squad come together after a devastating penalty shootout loss

A man was also suspended by property firm Savills after allegedly tweeting racist abuse at all three players in question – before quickly going viral for his vile actions.

ADVERTISEMENT

In response to these racist outbursts, thousands of people have been gathering in front of Marcus Rashford’s Akse mural in Withington, after someone sprayed it with graffiti on Sunday night.

The artwork has since been restored by graffiti artist Akse, however, the wall itself has remained an inspirational and supportive work in progress for Rashford and his fellow players.

Messages of support fill the abused mural of Marcus Rashford in Withington

Police are treating the vandalism of Rashford’s mural as racially aggravated and an investigation has been launched.

ADVERTISEMENT

It’s incredible to see Manchester stand up and come together in yet another time of need, condemning those who threaten our community spirit – and with the arrest of a man in Worcester, let’s hope the authorities can send a message of their own.

If you’ve experienced, or know someone who has experienced, a hate incident or hate crime you can report it to the police.

You can contact the police directly, or you can use an online reporting facility such as True Vision. There are also local organisations who can help you report the incident or crime. Click here for more info.