Gay's The Word bookshop targetted for homophobic hate crime during riots

Gay's The Word bookshop in Bloomsbury was attacked by rioters on Monday night in what staff believe was a homophobic hate crime

Neighbours reported seeing a group of youths on bikes kick in the shop's glass front and pelt it with eggs. A photograph in Camden New Journal shows the boarded-up shop front after the incident. The paper reports:

'Manager Jim MacSweeney said he believed the incident was opportunistic but motivated by homophobia.

'He added: “For us it's probably lads seeing what's happening on the TV and thinking they can get away with kicking our window in".'

The rioters did not loot Gay's The Word, which is the UK's only LGBT bookshop.

Website: www.gaystheword.co.uk