A FRENCHMAN living in Bournemouth has spoken out after being left with a string of injuries in an attack that he believes was racially-motivated.

Abdaraman Wone, 23, who has lived in Bournemouth for two-and-a-half years, said he had been on a night out with friends when troubled flared near a bus stop in Holdenhurst Road.

“There were three guys behind me near the bus stop and they were using a racist word. I said ‘why did you say that?’ I asked him why he was saying such things and he punched me.

“It spread into the road and more people came, maybe seven, and they were hitting me,” said Abda, who first came to Bournemouth from Normandy as an assistant French teacher and now works for an IT firm.

He was left with injuries to his eye, lips, elbow and leg and needed hospital treatment.

Abda said he wanted to speak out about what happened to him to urge others to be careful.

“I was surprised because I have been here for two-and-a-half years and this is the first time I’ve had an argument with anyone. I don’t hear much racism and I’ve not heard of this kind of problem in this town,” he said.

Abda, who lives with a host family in Littledown, added: “When I was telling the situation to a friend he said it could happen to anyone.

“The people who did this to me were adults, they weren’t teenagers. I can’t understand it. I was just out enjoying the weekend with friends and was attacked.

“The next weekend I had to do some shopping in town and I went past where it happened. I was almost shaking.

“If it happened to me it could happen to anybody. The police were very supportive. They made me feel better because I knew people were thinking about me.

“I want people to be aware and careful.”

n Dorset Police confirmed that there was a report of an incident outside Subway in Holdenhurst Road on December 15 at 4.30am.

A 28-year-old Bournemouth man has been arrested on suspicion of assault occasioning actual bodily harm and has been released on police bail until the end of February while enquiries continue.