AN ambulanceman who was the victim of a racist thuggery after answering a 999 call says his attacker should’ve been jailed.

Kamran Ahmed, aged 32, and a colleague had been called to the home of an elderly man in Prince Street, Derker, earlier this year.

But when they arrived, also in the property was heavily intoxicated nextdoor neighbour James Francis Shaw, aged 29, who launched a vicious assault on Mr Ahmed after racially abusing him with a four-letter word.

“I was punched and kneed in the head,” said Mr Ahmed, who lives in Oldham and is a former pupil of Hulme Grammar School.

“I can’t remember how long the attack lasted, but he wouldn’t let us out of the house, so we pressed our emergency button before the police arrived and arrested him.

“I was treated at the accident and emergency department at the Royal Oldham for injuries to my head and hand, but I am now OK.”

Shaw later appeared at Tameside Magistrates’ Court where he received a 26-week jail sentence, suspended for two years for carrying out a racially aggravated assault. He was also ordered to carry out 200 hours of unpaid work in the next 12 months and to pay compensation of £520.

But as far as Mr Ahmed is concerned, the court has been too lenient.

“It was an address we go to quite a lot, but I didn’t know the man who attacked me.

“When you look at what other people get for similar crimes, I feel like he should’ve gone to prison.

“If people are allowed to get away with things like this, it’s going to happen again and again.

“Across the North West the statistics for incidents like this are awful, and not enough attention is being drawn to it.

“When you’re going out there to help people you should have the right to be protected by the law.”