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Nottingham-based Polish newspaper was sent Brexit hate mail

Beata Polanowska Polish editor Brexit abuseBeata Polanowska
The message attached on to the cartoon referred to Brexit and called for migrants to leave England

A UK-based Polish newspaper was sent an abusive leaflet telling migrants to go "back where you come from".

Editor Beata Polanowska, who lives in Nottingham, said the paper received a cartoon of Home Secretary Sajid Javid with a pro-Brexit message attached telling migrants to "get out of England".

She said she would like to meet and talk with the anonymous sender.

Nottinghamshire Police confirmed it was being treated as a "hate incident".

Ms Polanowska, who edits Polish-language newspaper East Midlands po Polsku, said she "couldn't believe it" and was left "scared" and "upset" when she opened the letter on 21 January.

"We're so upset because somebody must be having such deep negative feelings towards us to give so much time to whatever [they have] prepared for us," she said.

"It looks amateurish, but somebody must be experienced in sending this kind of anonymous letter."

Google Polish Social and Cultural Association (POSK)Google
The Polish Social and Cultural Association (POSK) in Hammersmith was targeted by racist graffiti days after the EU Referendum in 2016

Ms Polanowska said the incident had left her wondering how many people were "hiding" anti-immigrant feelings.

She added she was worried eastern Europeans would be "second-class citizens" and leave the country.

"Some of us maybe have a British spouse, and it's not so easy to move away," she said.

"We made our home here, and we are trying to be positive towards the place where we live."

In Nottinghamshire, there was a 75% increase in racially or religiously aggravated hate crimes in the three months after the 2016 EU Referendum, and a 41% increase across England and Wales.

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