Suspect arrested over violent antisemitic attack on man and teenage girls on bus near Stamford Hill

A man has been arrested in connection with an incident in which a Jewish man was punched and teenage girls was subjected to antisemitic abuse on the number 254 bus.

The incident occurred on 6th December while the bus was near Stamford Hill, travelling towards Hackney. The man was reportedly reading a prayer book when the suspect allegedly subjected him to antisemitic abuse, before turning his attention to a group of teenage girls. When the first victim intervened, the suspect punched him in the arm.

Police were called to the scene but could not locate the suspect. However, using CCTV, the police have now identified and arrested a 48-year-old man on suspicion of a racially aggravated public order offence.

Campaign Against Antisemitism’s analysis of Home Office statistics shows that an average of over three hate crimes are directed at Jews every single day in England and Wales, with Jews almost four times more likely to be targets of hate crime than any other faith group.