A GANG of youths has been racially abusing a shop owner and his family.

Jian Ming Ye, of Oriental Stores in Queenborough, near Sheerness, has been the target for a group of 16 youths for the past two weeks.

They have broken the door and thrown stones through the windows of his convenience store in Main Road as well as shouting racial abuse at him and his wife and their two children.

Mr Ye, who has been in Queenborough for the past four years, said: “It is very upsetting for me and my family. It’s been happening every day for the last two weeks. We used to have trouble before, maybe once a month, but it’s got worse.

“They keep telling my family to go back to our country. They come into my shop and won’t leave.”

He said they had now got the police involved.

Swale Police’s Sgt Neil Kimber said: “There have been isolated incidents in which a local resident has suffered abuse and as a result of this we are offering that resident support in a bid to stop the problems.

“Residents have expressed to me that the area has improved a great deal as a result of the strategic planning by local authorities."

FULL STORY IN THIS WEEK'S SHEERNESS TIMES GUARDIAN