A SOUTH African police Community Support Officer was subjected to a torrent of racial abuse while working in Stroud.

But Noel Baadjes said the incident will not stop him serving his community.

Mr Baadjes - who moved to the UK four years ago - was on his way to a meeting on Wednesday evening when a passer-by hurled insults at him in Slad Road.

Although shaken, Mr Baadjes, who lives in Quedgeley with wife Winifred and two-year-old daughter Yenth, continued his shift as normal.

"I don't like to hold grudges," said the 37-year-old, who has experienced two similar incidents while working in the town.

"I find it offensive and take it personally when people speak to me like that.

"It doesn't shock me that people behave like this but it does dismay me that they still have prejudices."

Mr Baadjes - who is of mixed race - grew up during apartheid in South Africa.

Signs preventing black people from entering certain areas were a fact of life.

He became a PCSO in March after working as a traffic warden in the town for two years.

Generally he has found Stroud a welcoming and accepting community. "It's just the odd person who behaves like this," said the former Marine, who also worked in VIP protection looking after the likes of Nelson Mandela.

He called for anyone else who experiences hate crime to speak out. "I want to help break the spiral of silence that surrounds these kinds of incidents," he said.

Inspector Nick Holmes, of Stroud police, said the force took the incident extremely seriously.

"We will not tolerate any form of hate crime against our staff or members of the public," he said.

* A 59-year-old man was arrested in connection with the incident. He has been released on police bail and must report to Stroud Police Station on January 19.