Anti-English bigotry has fuelled the spiralling number of racist incidents which have “disgraced” the north-east.
Despite a fall in the number of incidents across Scotland between 2007-08 and 2008-09, official figures showed that the number of physical and verbal attacks recorded by Grampian Police soared from 390 to 649.
And the most targeted group in the region was white British people.
Last night, as a national retailer confirmed that it will stock controversial “Anyone but England” T-shirts during the World Cup, campaigners were in little doubt that the “British” people being assaulted and subjected to verbal abuse were English.
Someone becomes the victim of a racist attack every 14 hours in Grampian, and more than 1,000 racist incidents were recorded in the region over the two-year period, compared with 748 in neighbouring Tayside.
Broken down, the figures reveal that of the 1,039 incidents in Grampian, most – 196 – were against “white British” people.
White Irish people were the victims of just five incidents over the same period.
Africans were the second-most targeted group, being the victims of 154 incidents, while “other white” people, including eastern Europeans, were the victims in 137 incidents.
Indians were targeted 135 times and Pakistanis 79 times.
North-east MSP Richard Baker, Labour’s justice spokesman, said the figures were “shocking” and that action needed to be taken to tackle attitudes in the region.
“This is a disgrace,” he added.
“Lets be realistic about it – the racist incidents against white British people will have been against English people.
“In the past there has perhaps been incidents where people have made light-hearted comments about English people, but quite often this is obviously going beyond that.
“We have a huge number of people from other parts of the UK who live and work in the north-east and they are vital to our way of life and economy, particularly in the oil and gas industry.
“The vast majority of people in the north-east are in no way racist – but there is obviously a minority who think it’s acceptable to behave in this way.”
Grampian Police community relations officer, Sergeant John Ledingham, said: “These figures show that racism is not necessarily about colour, but can also be about nationality.
“Behaviour of this kind has no place in a civilised, multi-cultural society and we will continue not only to investigate complaints but, with assistance from partner organisations, to work to combat the prejudices which lead to these kinds of incidents.”
A spokesman for Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill said: “The Scottish Government and all mainstream political parties are committed to an inclusive, diverse Scotland, and every single such incident is to be deplored.”
Robert Gordon University sociologist, Chris Thorpe, who is originally from Kent but has lived in Aberdeen for 25 years, said he had been the victim of abuse in the past.
He said: “One would expect anti-English sentiment to be behind the increase in incidents against white British people. I have been on the receiving end of anti-English comments, but it is always written off as ‘Auld Enemy’ banter. But it often does not feel like banter if you are on the receiving end.”
Last night, it emerged that music retailer HMV is now stocking “ABE – Anyone But England” shirts.
Earlier this year, police launched an investigation at the Slanj of Scotland branch in Aberdeen after a complaint was made about similar T-shirts. Slanj’s assistant manager, Jamie Wilkinson, 23, insisted the slogan was nothing more than “harmless football banter”.
But referring to the “ABE” T-shirts, Mr Thorpe said: “This shirt is nothing less than a poorly-veiled attempt to cash in on anti-English sentiment among Scots.
“If the shirt had emblazoned across it ‘Anyone but Africa’ would it be acceptable? I think not. If it had ‘Anyone but Catholics’ would it be acceptable? Again, I think not.”
Last night HMV said it was stocking the “ABE” shirts in Aberdeen due to “local demand”.
A spokeswoman added: “There have been no issues to date, and it seems the shirts are being worn as part of the friendly and humorous rivalry that has long existed between Scottish and English football fans – surely people can see they’re just intended as a bit of fun?
“Only last week Kenny Dalglish was on TV cheering on the USA against England – is that really any different?
“As a retailer we believe that customers should be free to make up their own minds, and that we should not censor the choice available to them so long as this is presented in a responsible manner.”
Trevor Phillips, the head of the Equality and Human Rights Commission, said the slogan was “good-natured banter that was unlikely to cause offence”.