Heavily-pregnant Chinese woman says people yelled ‘corona’ at her twice in one night in Edinburgh

Chinese couple racially abused twice within space of half an hour

A heavily-pregnant Chinese woman has told of how she and her husband had 'coronavirus' insults yelled at them in two separate incidents of racial abuse on the same night in Edinburgh.

The married couple, who are from southeast China, but have lived in the Capital for the past 4 years, were walking near the Tesco Express supermarket in Brunswick Place, Leith Walk at around 6.45 on Wednesday evening when they were approached by a group of teenagers.

The woman, who wishes to remain anonymous as she does not want to worry her family back in China, told the Evening News that one of the teens threw food at her husband before yelling the word "coronavirus" in their faces.

The woman says she and her husband were first abused near the Tesco Express on Leith Walk.

The woman, who is due to give birth next month, said: "We were walking by and I noticed there was a food stain, a kind of mayonnaise substance, on my husband's jacket. I think maybe it was from a sandwich or wrap or something. I took a photo of the stain.

"There were three kids there, late teens, laughing at us and yelling and swearing. My husband was very angry but I tried to urge him to leave it because of my condition.

"My husband heard them yell 'corona' at us.

"We tried to leave as quickly as we could as they were quite aggressive."

The woman took a photo of the stain on her husband's jacket.

Upset, but keen to move away from the abusive teens, the couple made their way to Easter Road, where, just half an hour after the first incident, they were subjected to a second and strikingly similar xenophobic tirade.

The woman continued: "I couldn’t believe it. We were close to home when some people in a car - a white Audi A3 - called us 'corona' again.

"They tried their best to make sure we heard it and called out 'corona' a few times more.

"They had an accent. I don't think they were local.

"It's very disappointing, we've always felt included and didn't expect this here."

The woman says the couple have received numerous messages of support since the incidents after sharing the details on the Meadows Share Facebook group.

She added: "We are very grateful for that. A lot of friends and colleagues saw the post and contacted me privately to offer their support too.

"We both really like Edinburgh. It's a city that has been treating us really well and we obviously plan on bringing our child up here as well.

"It won't change our mind. Hopefully it won't happen to anyone else."

The woman says she has notified police of the incidents and is currently awaiting further news.

The Evening News has contacted Police Scotland for more information.