I have a friend, no honestly I do, who’s husband was from Nigeria. He lived here, worked here, even helped out at the Citizen’s Advice Bureau. He was a well loved and respected member of the community who sadly passed away about three years ago. He left behind his wife and five sons.

Her middle son likes to hang out with his mates… he’s a boy, it’s what they do. Now despite being a nice hard working boy he gets stopped by the police quite often.
He was stopped once while standing with a friend who was smoking a joint… guess who got put in the police car, questioned and cautioned?
He was stopped and searched once while sitting on a bridge having a chat. Why? Because someone had stolen a car… where the hell did they think he’d put it, in his back pocket?
Another time he, alone amongst a whole group of lads, was asked to prove his identity. He had his passport on him because, being over eighteen they had been for a drink and they tend to be strict about these things unless you go into the sort of places you wouldn’t be seen dead in. The fact that he had a passport on him was considered suspicious and they did a check on him to see if he was an illegal immigrant.
He was born in Wales, brought up in Wales, can speak welsh a hell of a lot better than most people I know. So why is it that he gets stopped searched, cautioned and checked on when none of his mates do?
Answers on a postcard to The Race Relations Board.