Welshpool: Bakery boss has panic attacks over racist abuse

A 23-year-old woman says she has had panic attacks and has been left feeling anxious after what she describes as targeted online abuse.

Jaz Woodward says she believes an individual has been sending her threatening images and messages, many with racist content.

Jaz, who is mixed race, says it started after she opened a new bakery business in Welshpool, Powys, in October.

Dyfed-Powys Police said it takes such reports "very seriously".

"They were just nasty not racist to begin with. Then I think because I wasn't retaliating they got worse to try and get a reaction from me," she said.

She said there was silence for a few weeks but when she used an anonymous question option on her Instagram story things took a turn for the worse.

"I posted it on my story to show it is not acceptable to say something like this, especially anonymous.

"I said 'if you have got a problem with me let's talk about it face-to-face and I am happy to answer any questions if I have done anything to upset you'.

"I've probably had about 100 messages - a lot of them were using the N-word, quite threatening and then they were taking pictures of my car, my house, when I'm shopping.

"Messages saying 'I know where you are', that they were going to burn the shop down, just lots of horrible things and a lot of it was not nice.

"I don't even want to repeat what they said."

Jaz says she has contacted the police about the messages on 27 December.

However, Dyfed-Powys Police says it did not receive a report of the incidents.

But two officers visited Jaz's bakery on Thursday after reading about her experiences in local media.

Jaz says when she first had the messages she did not want to serve her customers, and would stay at the back of the shop while her mother served.

"I would like to think it is just one terrible person and not a a group but I don't know," she says.

"It's different to what I have had before - I've always had racist comments because I am a mixed-race woman in a white town, I look different to everyone else.

"A lot of it hasn't bothered me because it is a lot of people not knowing where that line is.

"But it has felt malicious this time whereas before it hasn't. It's made me feel anxious.

"At home I would have panic attacks and not want to come into work.

"I am quite a private person, so them knowing where I live is quite scary because you just don't know how far these people are going to go."

Jaz says she is far more wary now about who is visiting the shop, but she has shared her story on social media and added that the support from her regular customers - and new ones - has been incredible.

"The support I have received from strangers has been outstanding.

"I've had enough flowers to start my own flower shop.

"One of my customers comes and sits with me in the evening so I am not alone in the dark because that's when some of the pictures have been taken and it's scary."

In a statement, Dyfed-Powys Police said: "We can confirm we have not received a report about these incidents, however after reading about them in the media, our officers in Welshpool very quickly made efforts to contact the victim.

"We take reports of this kind very seriously, and with cooperation from the victim we will carry out all possible enquiries to eliminate these abusive messages."