A reporter for the BBC Radio 4’s Today has revealed being racially abused while reporting from Basingstoke.
Sima Kotecha was interviewing people to discuss reports that the Leave campaign’s focus on immigration had led to an increase in hate crime.
She said on Twitter: “In utter shock: just been called p**i in my home town! Haven’t heard that word here since the 80s..!”
She later added: “Wow really touched by the outpouring of support – THANK YOU x”
And: “Your messages make me SO proud to be British.”
Fellow journalists were among those sending Kotecha messages of support.
They included:
BBC political editor Laura Kuenssberg: “This is absolutely awful, hope you’re OK.”
James Chapman (formerly of the Daily Mail, now working in PR for George Osborne): “This is absolutely awful, hope you’re ok.”
And Alexi Mostrous (The Times): “That’s appalling.”
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