Latest news: Mal Hussain
12/04/05
Mal Hussain and Linda Livingstone leave Ryelands mini market after 14 years
Mal Hussain and Linda Livingstone bought the Ryelands mini market in 1991. Within days of starting to run their business, they were threatened and racially abused. Mal was the only black person on the estate. More
Mal Hussain
Mal
Hussain and his partner Linda Livingstone bought the Ryelands Mini Market
estate in Lancaster in June 1991. Since then they have been subjected to a
24-hour, seven-day week campaign of the most intense racial harassment including
death threats, stonings, and fire bombings, physical attacks, graffiti and
verbal abuse. Their shop is routinely attacked and customers are systematically
threatened. Mal has also been shot at with live bullets. Often Mal has made
multiple calls to the police with little or no response.
After the repeated failure of Lancaster police and the local council to intervene,
his case recently took a new turn for the worse. One man on the estate, who
has been repeatedly reported by Mal for harassment, made an offensive gesture
at him. Upon reporting this to the police Mal was informed that the perpetrator
was accusing him of the same offence, which was being treated as racist in
its intent. Mal had to attend the police station to give DNA, fingerprints
and be photographed. Mal is now calling for a public inquiry into his case.
