An Oldham takeaway has said it is "deeply upsetting" to have been the victim of graffiti which it believes was motivated by reaction to the murder of Henry Nowak.
Tokies on Oldham Road, Royton, said it was recently alerted to graffiti which had been spray painted on the shutters of its shop reading "RIP Hennry [sic]" and "scum" twice.
The takeaway believes this is following the sentencing of Sikh man Vickrum Digwa for murdering 18-year-old Henry Nowak in Southampton last year, with violent disorder breaking out in the city earlier this month.
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In a post on social media, Tokies, which has "been part of the Royton community for over 30 years", said it was "deeply upsetting" to see the graffiti.
In the post shared on social media, Tokies wrote: "Following the tragic death of Henry in Southampton, someone apparently thought the right response was to target an Asian-owned business in Oldham. The graffiti even misspells his name, which says a lot about the sincerity behind it.
"We would like to thank the local neighbour who alerted us and kindly offered to help clean it up as well as the many customers and neighbours who have reached out. Your support means far more than the actions of whoever did this.
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"It’s sad that our town feels increasingly hostile at times, but we won’t let hatred define our community. We know the vast majority of people in Royton are decent, kind and welcoming.
"Thank you to everyone who continues to support us."
The Oldham Times approached Tokies for further comment and has contacted Greater Manchester Police.
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