On Sunday night, January 12, windows at four businesses were smashed in a series of coordinated attacks between 11.15pm and 11.30pm.
Among the targeted businesses were a convenience store and two Turkish barber shops, including the newly opened Kurd Cut on Winchester Street.
Staff at the businesses say this is part of a troubling pattern of anti-social behaviour in the area.
A glass door is seen boarded up for the safety of customers after it was smashed by anti-socials in the latest attacks (Image: Newsquest) READ MORE: Council reveals plans to transform Basingstoke’s Top of Town
Many of the targeted shops are run by owners and staff of diverse backgrounds, which raises fears of racial motivation behind the attacks.
Mahdi Rasouli, a 20-year-old barber at Kurd Cut, described the incident as deeply unsettling but said he remains committed to kindness.
“All we can do is to be kind and respectful,” he said.
“We will continue to show kindness and just hope the society will change. These incidents sometimes show who is good and who is bad. Look who is smashing the windows and who is bearing the brunt of it.”
Another shopkeeper, who requested not to be named, said that vandalism and theft are recurring issues, particularly on Thursday through Sunday nights.
Our shop has faced repeated incidents of window-smashing and shoplifting.
“What can we do? Sometimes people come inside the shop and walk away by grabbing a bottle. Police have asked us not to run behind them,” he said.
He added that police told him about the arrest of a suspect involved in the most recent attack, only for the individual to return the next day and hurl verbal abuse at him in front of the shop.
A charity shop staff who witnessed the aftermath of the attacks described the scene as distressing, particularly for the shopkeepers.
“I feel so sorry for the guy next to our charity shop as he looked quite shaken, especially when he realised that it seemed to be racially motivated,” the staff said.
When asked for a comment, Hampshire Constabulary confirmed the series of attacks but did not say that they were racially motivated.
A police spokesperson said: “We received reports of criminal damage at four businesses on Winchester Street, London Street and Market Place in Basingstoke. It was reported that windows had been smashed at each of the shops between 11.15 pm and 11.30 pm on Sunday 12 January.
Pandora Box is often targeted by anti-socials. The smashed glass door is seen covered in this picture (Image: Newsquest) SEE ALSO: Man charged after food stolen from Co-op
“Officers also received reports that two men at two of the shops had been verbally abused the following day. Anyone with information is asked to contact 101, quoting 44250016766.”
The incidents have sparked conversations about the safety of Basingstoke’s Top of Town, where many businesses are owned and operated by members of the town’s diverse community. Despite the challenges, shopkeepers like Mahdi Rasouli remain hopeful.
“We try to find positivity in this,” he said. “But we need more support to feel safe.”