Man arrested over 'no blacks' racist graffiti on Salford door

A 54-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of racially aggravated criminal damage after "no blacks" was painted onto a door.

Superintendent Howard Millington of Greater Manchester Police's Salford division said: "While we have a man in custody, our enquiries into this deplorable crime are very much ongoing.

"I want to emphasise that we are acutely aware of the strength of public feeling surrounding this incident.

"Both CID and neighbourhood officers are looking into this crime and we are working closely with our partners to
support the victim, as is the case in all hate crimes.

"Let me reassure people that where incidents of this nature take place, we will always pursue a prosecution," he added.

The abusive message was left on the front door of solicitor Jackson Yamba and the entrance to the flats where he lives with his son, David, 10, and friend Theo Baya, in Salford, on 8 February.

Mr Yamba published a picture of the "abhorrent racist graffiti" on Twitter, sparking a public outcry after he revealed police had not contacted him more than a week after he reported it.

The father-of-one said his son was left in tears after seeing the painted message.

Mr Yamba wrote in an accompanying post: "My front door in Salford was painted over a week ago with this abhorrent racist graffiti - after reporting it to @gmpolice they still haven't been here to investigate.

"How do I assure my traumatised 10-year-old that he is safe in his home?"

The police force later apologised for its slow response, saying Mr Yamba had "received a service below what we would seek to provide" and said officers visited Mr Yamba on Sunday.

Since he tweeted the picture, Mr Yamba has received many messages of support and a GoFundMe page set up to pay for a new door quickly passed its £1,000 target.

Mr Yamba tweeted in response: "I am really grateful for the amount of support across the country.

"There is no word to describe my gratefulness. My son and I want to thank you all."