A series of “shocking” racist posters have been put up targeting shopkeepers and religious centres in Fife.
Several of the posters have been found in locations including Kirkcaldy and Leven in recent weeks.
One poster seen by The Courier included repeated use of the P-word and other slurs, and listed shops and places of worship used or run by south Asian people in Fife.
Police are hunting those responsible for putting up the posters, described by officers as “racially offensive”.
Shopkeeper says racist Fife posters ‘a reality of living in Scotland’
One shopkeeper from the area, who did not want to be identified, told The Courier: “I try not to give these sorts of things much thought so it doesn’t have an impact on my life.
“People in our community have to put up with undertones all the time.
“Unfortunately this is the reality of living in Scotland, you’ve got to have a thick skin.”
Another shopkeeper from Leven described the language used in the posters as “shocking” but did not want to comment further.
Councillor David Alexander, who represents Leven, says there is “no place” for the posters.
He said: “I’m well aware of the offensive posters reported to police in the Levenmouth and Kirkcaldy areas.
“This is no place for hate crimes in the community and those caught will be dealt with by police accordingly.”
At least three posters have been found and removed by police at the following locations:
- Overton Road, Kirkcaldy, around 10am on January 30
- Groban, Leven, around 10.40am on February 4
- The junction of Scoonie Road and Haughgate Street, Leven, later on February 4
‘The content is very concerning’
A Police Scotland spokesperson said: “The content of these posters is very concerning and we recognise the impact this may have on our communities.
“The posters that have been discovered have since been removed, however, we would urge the public to report instances of this nature to police immediately if they come across it.
“We have dedicated officers carrying out a number of inquiries to establish where this material came from, and I would appeal to the public to contact police if you have any information which may assist.”
Anyone with any information is asked to contact Police Scotland quoting incident 1085 of February 4.
Alternatively, information can be passed to Crimestoppers anonymously by calling 0800 555 111.
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