Two people have been arrested after a man in his 50s was assaulted and racially abused before a car was set alight in Weston-super-Mare.

Officers were called to Dunster Crescent at 7.01pm to reports of an altercation. A second call was received at 10.29pm after a person was seen throwing an object at a parked car which then caught on fire on Monday (September 2)/

House-to-house and CCTV enquiries have subsequently been carried out as part of the ongoing investigation. 

A 34-year-old man from Weston-super-Mare has been arrested on suspicion of racially-aggravated assault and arson and a 37-year-old woman, also from Weston-super-Mare, has been arrested on suspicion of racially-aggravated public order. Both remain in police custody.

Neighbourhood Chief Inspector Jonathan Murray said: "This was a shocking incident and one which we're treating incredibly seriously. There can never be any excuse for hate crime or violence in any shape or form and this criminality will not be tolerated.

"The victim is being supported by officers and detectives as well as our partner agencies and we will continue to keep them updated as our investigation progresses.

"Officers have been carrying out extra patrols in the area following Monday's incident and these will continue this week."

Anybody with information or footage which could help our investigation should call 101 and quote reference 5224232129. Alternatively, contact the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously.