POLICE have said they are treating an incident in which white paint was thrown over a mural as a hate crime.

A mural in Cardiff Bay depicting a pregnant black woman wearing a Cardiff City football shirt with the words "My city. My shirt" printed next to the woman had white paint thrown over it.

The damage to the mural on James Street was reported on Monday, October 4, and is believed to have occured the night before.

Inspector Kevin Jones, from the community safety department of South Wales Police, said: "The My City My Shirt mural was painted as part of a community project celebrating Cardiff as a diverse city and is a much-praised piece of art.

"It would appear that white paint has been deliberately thrown onto the mural from the pavement area where there are also splashes of paint.

"Understandably, local residents, the artist and Unify Creative, who commissioned the project, are very upset by what has happened to this mural which represents Cardiff as a proud, welcoming and multi-cultural city."

The incident is believed to be a hate crime, which is defined as any crime motivated by hostility on the grounds of race, religion, sexual orientation, disability or transgender identity.

South Wales Police said in a statement: "Hate crime has no place in society and has always been a priority for South Wales Police.

"Cardiff is a modern, multi-cultural city where people of different religions, faiths and cultures live side by side and have done for many, many years.

"We always encourage victims of hate crime to contact us as we have specialist officers who can offer support and assistance."

Anybody with information on this incident can contact South Wales Police on their website, sending a message to them on Twitter or Facebook, emailing them at SWP101@south-wales.police.uk or calling them on 101.

Remember to quote the reference *348427

MORE NEWS: