Community rallies round Fife shop targeted with racist graffiti

Kirkland Mini Market in Methil was branded with a swastika in the early hours of Thursday morning, before being targeted again around 24 hours later, with the vandal this time painting racist slurs on the shop.

Mohammad Sajid, who owns the shop with his brother-in-law Faisal, said the pair were “upset” by the vandalism.

He added: “We have a nice community and the customers are great. We have been running businesses in the area for 20 years and this is the first time it has happened.”

The pair, who own other shops around Levenmouth, only took over the Methil store around seven months ago.

Disgusted locals spotted the graffiti after the vandalism and offered to help the owners clean it up.

Lucy Robertson, who helped paint the outside of the shop with around 10 friends and family members, said: “I had driven past and seen the vandalism. They were obviously targeted – it wasn’t just common graffiti. It broke our hearts.

"We’ve never had graffiti like that in our area.”

Lucy offered to help and even got assistance from B&Q, where she used to work, which gave her a discounted price on paint.

The group got to work on Sunday and soon had the graffiti covered up.

She added: “It was heartbreaking to see. We couldn’t imagine turning up to work to see things like that. We wanted to show that not everyone in the community was like that. It’s shocking behaviour.

"The community has come together to make sure it doesn’t happen again.”

Local councillor, Ken Caldwell, said "I was horrified to see the photos of racist comments spray painted on the shop front. This racist vandalism is not what our community is about. However, the help and assistance given by the locals is. Well done and thank you to the community for cleaning this up and supporting the shop owners.”

A Police Scotland spokesperson said: “We received a report on Saturday, 26 June, of racist graffiti at a business premises in Kirkland Walk, Methil. Enquiries are ongoing.”