(): A UK police force investigating a hate crime have renewed their appeal for information related to an incident in which a Sikh man in his late 50s sustained injuries after a group of boys attacked him in Slough, south-east England.

Thames Valley Police said the victim, named locally as Inderjit Singh, was walking through Langley Memorial Park when he was approached by a group of boys. One of the offenders tried to grab the victim’s beard and then all the boys circled him, kicking him and pulling him to the ground. Singh sustained three broken ribs as well as swelling and cuts to his hand.

The police were initially investigating it as an incident of GBH (grievous bodily harm), but are now treating it as a hate crime, investigating officer Detective Constable Holly Baxter, who is based at Slough Police Station, said in a statement.

“I am appealing to anybody who was in the area around the time of the incident (at 7 pm local time on November 21), to please get in touch with Thames Valley Police,” Baxter’s statement said last week.

“We are currently conducting further patrols in the area and anyone with concerns should speak to a uniformed officer or contact us by calling 101 or via our website. We take all reports of hate crime seriously as we know that they have a devastating impact on individual victims and targeted communities,” she said.

The police are appealing for anyone with their car dash-cam footage, doorbell video, or any other potential recordings from the day of the attack that could assist the investigation. Following the attack, the offenders – described as teenage boys around 13 to 16 years old – are said to have left in the direction of Marish School.

The victim was taken to hospital for treatment after the attack but has since been discharged.

His local Gurdwara Sri Guru Singh Sabha has also appealed for anyone with information to assist the police in their inquiries into the hate crime.