Manhunt for four white men who racially abused black woman in Hampstead Heath

The victim was left 'shaken and nervous of being outside alone', officers said.

A manhunt has been launched after a black woman was racially abused by four white men as she walked through Hampstead Heath.

The victim, who is in her mid-20s, had been near the Highgate’s Men’s Pond when the men approached her just before 9pm on Sunday. They launched a torrent of racist abuse, leaving her shaken and scared of going outside alone.

She managed to capture footage of the group as they walked away, while officers have now released pictures of the men who they are hoping to identify.

In the images, one white man can be seen walking with his hood up while another appears to be smiling and glancing towards the camera.

DS Sam O’Callaghan, of the Met Police, said: ‘For four men to verbally attack a lone female is beyond cowardly.

‘The incident has left the victim shaken and nervous of being outside alone. If you can name any of the males shown in the images, or if you witnessed the incident but haven’t yet spoken with police, please contact us immediately.’

The attack happened just hours after activists took to central London for a Black Lives Matter protest against the death of George Floyd, 46. Mr Floyd died after white officer Derek Chauvin knelt on his neck for more than eight minutes during an arrest in Minneapolis.

His death has sparked demonstrations across the globe, with officers in riot gear blasting activists with rubber pullets and tear gas in the US. In London, Brits kneeled in silence at Trafalgar Square on Sunday before marching to the US Embassy in Battersea.

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