Footage shows youths on e-scooters 'hurl racist abuse' at women near Scots university
A group of youths have been filmed "hurling" racist abuse at a group of women near the University of Edinburgh prompting cops to launch a probe.
Emily Yao was unlocking her bike with her two friends at Potterow at around 10pm on July 1, when two young boys on e-scooters raced towards them.
Emily, who has lived in the capital since the pandemic and was born in China, claimed they hurled abuse at the trio, including calling them 'Chinese f*****s'.
During the incident she attempted to film the two youths, who she believed are around 11-years-old, on her phone with local cops now probing the incident.
Speaking to Edinburgh Live, Emily said: "Suddenly we heard a kind of howling sound, like an animal, from behind.
"We saw someone racing towards us on a scooter, and just as he was about to hit us he swirled around. We were a little bit shocked, and then, he and a mate of him and just started to say things like Chinese f*****s, f*** off.
"I just took out my phone and started filming them and trying to get a clear shot of their face, but I couldn't quite get them. I was trying to get them to come back and to, I asked them, can you repeat what you just said to me on tape?
'When I gave up and turned around, they would then follow me and then race towards me again. Then they would start hurling racial comments at me again."
Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community!
Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today.
You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland.
No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team.
All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in!
If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'.
We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like.
To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'.
If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
She continued: "He asked me 'do you feel threatened?' so I asked him 'do you think I should be? Do you want me to feel threatened?
"The whole encounter was just so sinister. I was kind of embarrassed that I was frightened by what looks like an 11 or 12-year-old.
"I think the thing that makes it a bit different is that they seem to only target Asian women. The whole thing reminded me of Adolescence, that Netflix show, especially when he asked me the question, do you feel threatened?
"It just took me right back to the show where the boy asked the psychologist if he scared her.
"It's really weird, and the fact that they are targeting women. It makes you wonder if it's because they actually do have a hatred of women, I mean they were calling us b*****s the whole times."
A Police Scotland spokesperson said: "An investigation is under way following a report of racial abuse.
"The incident occurred around 10pm on Tuesday, 1 July 2025 on Charles Street in Edinburgh, when two youths on bikes approached three women and shouted abusive comments at them. Enquiries are ongoing."
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Record
10 minutes ago
- Daily Record
Livestreaming paedo who confessed to grooming more than 10 children dodges jail
David Smith was filmed by vigilante paedophile hunters revealing he was a serial child sex pest after being caught during several sting operations. A paedophile who confessed during a livestream to grooming more than ten children online has dodged a prison sentence. David Smith was filmed by vigilante paedophile hunters revealing he was a serial child sex pest after being caught during several sting operations. Smith was confronted by members of the group and when they asked how many times he had sex chats with children he said: "It must be in double figures." Sheriff William Wood told Smith: "I have had to give very serious thought to sending you to prison. I'm told that prospect has been uppermost in your mind and has rightly caused you concern. "Although you were corresponding with decoys, you weren't to know that at the time. These could have been children who could have been scarred by these exchanges with you. "It is only really because you pled guilty that I'm affording you the opportunity to work in the community. This is your one chance. It is an alternative to custody." He ordered Smith to complete 300 hours unpaid work, and placed him under supervision and on the Sex Offenders Register for three and a half years. The sheriff also imposed a series of conduct requirements on Smith, limiting his online activity and banning him from mixing with other known paedophiles. Smith, 52, used his own name and claimed to be 20 years younger when he sent pictures of his own genitals to girls he believed were 13 and 14. He was unaware he had been duped into communicating with three decoy profiles until the paedo hunters turned up on his doorstep to quiz and film him. Smith had told the 'girls' - who were adults posing as children and using adapted images of themselves for profile pics - that he was "horny" and encouraged them to carry out sex acts. Fiscal depute Jennifer Bairner told Perth Sheriff Court that Smith sent friend requests to the decoy Facebook profiles and claimed he was a hotel worker in his 30s from Scotland. He told one: "It's OK, it will be our secret" after sending a picture of his erect penis. He sent further explicit images after asking the girl if she was at school at the time. At one point he moved the conversation to WhatsApp and sent another picture of his penis to one girl "so you know it's me from this." The grooming of the girls lasted for several months until the vigilante group tracked his home address and turned up on 10 June last year to confront him. "They attended to challenge the accused," Mrs Bairner said. "It was on a Facebook livestream on the Child Protection Team UK. He admitted he was sexually attracted to children." Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. Asked how many he had communicated with, he replied: "It must be in double figures. I'm sorry I did this. I don't go looking for children. I've not molested any children." Smith, from Perth, admitted three grooming charges as well as a charge of having child pornography showing images of children as young as three years old. Solicitor David Sinclair, defending, said: "He has spent the past month remanded in custody and that has, not surprisingly, been a harrowing experience for him. "He was in protection. He has been subject to levels of pressure and anxiety he has not experienced before in his life. That will continue for some time to come."
Daily Record
3 hours ago
- Daily Record
Major UK supermarket to reward money to customers who 'point out' shoplifters
Shoplifting offences are said to cost the retailer £20million per year. Iceland's boss has called on loyal customers to help tackle the rise in shoplifting crimes. The incentive will see those who help out rewarded with a cash prize. Richard Walker, Executive Chairman to the frozen foods giant, has said that he will top up customers' Bonus Card with £1 every time they spot someone shoplifting in store. Once the thieves have been pointed out to a staff member, those signed up to the supermarket's loyalty scheme will have the money credited to their account and available to spend immediately. The Sun reports the move means that Iceland may be the first UK supermarket to bring in an incentive for customers who help out with the fight against shoplifting across the country. Customers who do point out any shoplifters in store are being encouraged not to directly interact with them, but instead to alert the nearest staff member with a detailed description. Walker also believes that the reward will hopefully help it to lower its costs after it was revealed that shoplifting currently costs the company £20million per year. Speaking to Channel 5 News on Wednesday, August 13, the Chairman said: "I'd actually like to announce that we will give a pound to any customer who points out a shoplifter. "We will put it on their bonus card if they see any customer in our stores who are undertaking that offence." The supermarket's boss then said that, while some see shoplifting as a "victimless" crime, it is in fact a cost to the business, with the multi-million pound loss being "a cost to the hours that we pay our colleagues." Alongside mentioning the "intimidation" and "violence" of the crime, he further added:"That's not £20 million of profit. That's just £20 million that we could pay in more hours to our colleagues or in lowering prices." "So we'd like our customers to help us lower our prices even more by pointing out shoplifters and then we'll give them a quid back." Iceland's reward comes after the Office for National Statistics (ONS) that shoplifting incidents rose to a record high, with crimes across England and Wales soaring 20 percent in March 2025 to 530,643. Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. It is said to mark the highest number of shoplifting offences since the record began over 20 years ago in March 2003, with the figures equivalent to over 10,000 thefts per week, or more than 1,400 per day. With the stark rise in crimes across the UK, many major supermarkets and retailers have been introducing measures to help protect their goods and staff members against offenders. Earlier this year, Sainsbury's and Tesco introduced cameras that record customers at its self-service checkouts that will alert when an item that doesn't look like it has been scanned is placed in the bagging area. Meanwhile, the likes of Co-op, Tesco, Lidl, H&M and Ann Summers have been equipping staff members with body cameras to protect their wellbeing amidst the rise in violent retail crime.
Daily Record
3 hours ago
- Daily Record
Lad missing in River Tay after 'diving in with pals' as dramatic search underway
Multiple emergency units raced to the banks of the river in the city centre last night and began a search of the water. A major search is ongoing after a man vanished in the River Tay in Perth last night. Multiple emergency units raced to the banks of the river in the city centre and began searching the water. Searches are today ongoing at Moncrieff Island for the missing 27-year-old man. He disappeared after diving into the river with two other pals. All three of the men got into difficulty in the water. Two of them were recovered and checked over by the Scottish Ambulance Service. A desperate hunt is now ongoing to trace the third man who reportedly disappeared under the water. Dozens of mercy crews locked down Tay Street last night. Fire crews were spotted at the scene, along with paramedics, police and a mountain rescue team. An airport support unit was spotted hovering above Perth as the major search unfolded. Harrowing pictures from last night show rescue teams out searching the water in a small dinghy. One horrified local has told how his wife was out with their children before tragedy stuck. The dad said his wife threw his children's armbands in a desperate attempt to rescue the lad before he was "dragged under". They said: "Three guys came past and all just dived in thinking the river was just a pond. "She took our kids armbands off to throw to as he was clearly in trouble but in a second he was dragged under, she told me. "His two companions could not swim either but managed to come out." Police say searches will continue today, with Tay Street remaining closed in both directions from Marshall Place to Canal Street. Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. A spokesperson for Police Scotland said: "Searches are ongoing at Moncrieff Island in Perth following a report of a missing 27-year-old man. "Around 7.45pm on Thursday, 14 August, 2025, we received a report of three adult males in difficulty in the water. Emergency services attended and two men were traced. They were checked over by Scottish Ambulance Service. "Local officers have been assisted by Mountain Rescue Team, Air Support Unit and Scottish Fire and Rescue Service. "Searches will commence today, Friday, 15 August, 2025. As a result, Tay Street is closed in both directions, from Marshall Place to Canal Street, for motorists and pedestrians. "People are asked to avoid the area."
