Nihal Arthanayake reports man for ‘racially aggravated’ offence outside pub

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Nihal Arthanayake Reports Man For ‘Racially Aggravated’ Offence Outside Pub
On the social media site, Arthanayake wrote that he would not be naming the pub as he had a “great time in there before encountering that racist man”.
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By Charlotte McLaughlin, PA Senior Entertainment Reporter

BBC presenter Nihal Arthanayake has said Greater Manchester Police officers are looking into his report of a “racial aggravated public order offence”.

The 51-year-old, who hosts a Radio 5 Live show, said he was outside a pub at the weekend when a man approached him and used a four-letter slur, referring to people of Pakistani origin, and the n-word.

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On Twitter on Saturday, Arthanayake wrote: “So, last night this happened to me and I am still trying to process the weirdness of it. Warning that there is bad language.”

In a video below the tweet, the presenter said: “I don’t really know what just happened, I was in a place called Altrincham… and I was outside this pub, which I’d been in with my wife, dancing around… It was fun. (There was a cover) band (they were) very good.

“I saw this man sitting outside (and) I was waiting for my wife to come out, so I said: ‘Can I come and sit with you, can we talk?’ and he was like ‘Yeah, yeah absolutely.’ (He was a) little, kind of drunk man.

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“We got talking and he said ‘Oh are you a doctor?’ So I started laughing because it’s a question as an Asian you might get asked and I went ‘Well why would you ask that?'”

Then he said the man used two slurs and added: “Oh sorry, you’re offended, aren’t you?”

Arthanayake added: “It was so weird but you know when you come to some of these areas, I think there’s just some people who still feel they can say that word, like what?”

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On the social media site, Arthanayake wrote that he would not be naming the pub as he had a “great time in there before encountering that racist man”.

The presenter followed the tweet, writing: “Impressed that @gmpolice have already been in touch. Looking at investigating a Racially Aggravated Public Order Offence.”

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Arthanayake also shared his post on Instagram where The Great British Bake Off 2016 winner Nadiya Hussain wrote: “This is the reality for so many of us. Sending you love and solidarity.”

TV personality Vicky Pattison, who won a previous season of I’m a Celebrity…Get Me Out Of Here! and was on Geordie Shore, also wrote: “I’m sorry nihal… sending you so much love.”

Greater Manchester Police have been contacted.

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