A WOMAN in York was the victim of racial abuse in the city centre.

A police investigation is now underway after Tiffany Chan, 19, said she was walking her dog in Fossgate on Saturday, February 12 in the afternoon when she faced racial abuse.

She claimed that three white men 'a bit older' than her had shouted racial slurs and chased her down the street.

Tiffany said: "They were kneeling on the ground so I didn't see them until I heard them yelling racist slurs, mimicking a 'Chinese accent', and telling me to go back to China.

"It was shocking and I was so scared, so I called the cops hoping they would help me.

"The fact that such blatant racism and disregard of hate crime can occur in a developed country such as the UK baffles me."

She called North Yorkshire police at 4.30pm, and Tiffany claimed she that was told that patrol officers would arrive on the scene.

She claimed that after waiting half an hour, no policemen arrived and so she went home.

A North Yorkshire Police spokesperson said: "A call was received by the Force Control Room at 4.50pm on Saturday, February 12 from a woman reporting she had been targeted with racial abuse while walking her dog in York.

“The victim was advised to return to a place of safety and that an officer would contact her to follow up on her report and gather details of the incident.

"Due to the nature of the incident a hate crime has been logged and enquiries are currently being made.

“North Yorkshire Police take all reports of hate crime seriously. We understand the distress and upset incidents of this nature can cause and thank the victim for reporting her concerns to us.”