A founding member of The Zutons was taken to hospital after a ‘hate-related assault’ in Wavertree. Boyan Chowdhury, who co-founded the Liverpool indie band, suffered a serious head injury following the incident on Saturday, March 21.
Emergency services attended the scene after reports that a man in his 40s had been racially abused and attacked during an altercation with a group of men near Fieldway at around 2.15pm.
According to a police statement, the victim was struck on the head with what is believed to have been a piece of wood. He was subsequently taken to hospital for treatment.
An investigation into the incident is ongoing and police are appealing for anyone with information to come forward.
Detective Inspector Debra Morley said: “This was a shocking assault that has absolutely no place in our communities. To racially abuse someone and then attack him with a weapon is abhorrent and I’m sure the public in Merseyside will be just as appalled as we are about what happened.
“An investigation is ongoing into this incident and we are appealing for anyone with information to come forward. If you saw this group of males near Fieldway or witnessed the incident, then please come forward.
“Violence and hate crime will simply never be tolerated in our communities. We have specially trained officers who respond to reports of hate crime with compassion and sensitivity, ensuring that every piece of information is acted upon to bring offenders to justice.
“I strongly encourage anyone who has experienced or witnessed hate crime to come forward and contact us.”
Chowdhury was a founding member of The Zutons but left the band in 2007. A spokesperson for the band said at the time: “It’s an amicable split but definitely the end of Boyan’s involvement with the band.
“Everyone is still friends and it’s not like there is any animosity. Sometimes things like this happen and bands grow apart. Boyan wants to do his own thing. He has been writing songs for a while and is in the process of putting the new band together.”
Anyone with information is asked to contact Merseyside Police social media desk via X @MerPolCC.
You can also call 101 quoting reference 26000226633 or contact the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously, on 0800 555 111 or via their online form at: https://crimestoppers-uk.org/give-information/give-information.
If, for any reason, you do not wish to report a hate crime to the police, the independent charity Stop Hate UK to run a 24/7 confidential helpline for all victims of hate crime on 0800 138 1625 or www.stophateuk.org.
You can also download the Stop Hate UK reporting app on Google Play or the Apple App Store. You can also report hate crime via: