Racial harassment

What is racial harassment?

The definition of a racial incident comes from the Macpherson inquiry which investigated how the death of Stephen Lawrence was dealt with. It is defined as:

"Any incident which is perceived to be racist by the victim or any other person."

Racial harassment can take various forms including:

  • name-calling
  • verbal abuse
  • unprovoked assaults including actual bodily harm
  • racist graffiti on or in the vicinity of a house (ie either outside the home/ within a block or on an estate / in the street where a home is)
  • arson or attempted arson (this could include material which has been or could be ignited being pushed through an opening in a home)
  • acting individually or as part of a group to prevent someone from occupying their home and
  • damage to a place of worship.


Racial harassment is different from ordinary neighbour disputes in that the incidents are:

  • racially motivated
  • potentially pre-meditated
  • potentially carried out by people who are not their immediate neighbours and
  • likely to recur over a period of time.


Racial incidents and racial harassment should be reported to the police who can provide advice and may be able to take action against the perpetrator under the Protection from Harassment Act 1997. Victims or people wishing to report a racist incident should contact their local police on 0845 125 2222.

Information for Council tenants/staff

Woking Borouhg Council Housing Team are duty bound to investigate incidents that involve Council tenants, but the current procedure also covers:

  • people who visit Council tenants
  • people in Council hostels
  • prospective tenants visiting a Council property
  • staff on visits to Council homes and
  • private tenants, Housing Association tenants and people who own their own home who are being subjected to racial harassment by Council tenants.


If the complaint involves a Council tenant or member of staff, the Council can take action against the perpetrator. These incidents should be reported to the local housing team. Depending upon the seriousness of the incident or severity of the harassment, the complainant may choose to report the matter to the police as well on 0845 125 2222.

Where the harassment has lead to a racially aggravated assault, this should be reported to both the police and the Housing Team. This should be done in a timely manner as the Council has powers to obtain injunctions and if this is done quickly enough they can be obtained immediately.