A shocked security guard at a city centre Boots has told of the “disgraceful” moment he was racially abused at work.
The man, who wished to remain anonymous, was working at the Shandwick Place branch when he was subjected to the vile verbal abuse shortly after 10.15am on Wednesday.
Colleagues also told how his abuser spat on the glass windows and the floor of the store as he fled the scene.
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The security guard told Edinburgh Live how he kept a watchful eye on the man's movements after spotting him acting suspiciously in the shop.
He said he challenged the man after he knocked a hat off the store's scales left there by a customer.
“He was calling me a black c***, a monkey, everything like that,” the security guard said.
“Then, he started to spit around the store floor, he spat on the automatic doors.”
The man was then said to have left the premises but returned less than 10 minutes later when he aggressively banged the shop windows and spat again.
“I went outside to try and make sure he was away, and that’s when I saw he was in the street doing monkey signs," said the security guard.
He then chased his abuser away from the store as shocked passers-by watched on.
After processing what had happened, he discussed how the man’s verbal attack had affected him personally.
“Hearing that sort of language in a packed street in Edinburgh is disgraceful. It feels like we haven’t moved on," he said.
Born in the early 60s, the security guard emotionally explained how the horrendous abuse transported him to negative experiences from his childhood.
"It took me back to when I was three, sat in my mum’s pushchair, and I was called a monkey. I remember people spat in my mum’s face in a queue," he added.
“I remember being seven and trying to scrub my skin. I was scrubbing like mad and it was bleeding.
“It was in the open. We’re not in America, but that has happened to me twice as an officer. What’s next? We’re going back into the 60s, 70s and 80s again – it really seems like it.”
Colleagues who witnessed the incident described the scenes as “horrible”, while also praising the security guard for his professional attitude.
Despite saying that he hopes the shocking abuse won’t tarnish his view of Edinburgh, he admitted that the situation has him questioning his future in the city.
“Racism is a germ, a bacteria. It’s disgraceful what’s happened today. Part of me wants to leave Edinburgh after hearing this. If this person’s saying it out loud, what are people thinking in their minds?
“That did hurt, but you’ve got to grow. You’ve got to grow wings and fly above it all. Everything’s a learning process.”
A Police Scotland spokeswoman confirmed officers are now investigating the incident.
She added: "Police were called at 11am after receiving a report of a hate crime following an incident in Shandwick Place on Wednesday. Enquires are ongoing."
