The city's Polish community is feeling a 'mixture of emotions' after a substance was released into a city centre shop.

Police investigations later discovered it was a stink bomb that was sprayed into Polish food shop Krowka in Silver Street on Saturday evening (August 10).

Tom Wiśniewski, chairman of the Worcester Polish Association, said the incident had caused alarm among the community before it was discovered the substance was non-toxic.

Mr Wiśniewski said: "With regards to Krowka, my initial reaction was one of deep concern.

"The safety and well-being of our community members are of utmost importance and incidents like these naturally cause a lot of anxiety.

CLOSED: A cordon was placed ion Silver Street after the substance was sprayed into a shop (Image: Worcester News reader)

"The staff and owners of Krowka are understandably shaken by what happened."

Mr Wiśniewski aired concerns among the wider Polish community in Worcester too.

He added: "There is a mix of emotions I think.

"Some do feel a sense of unease and wonder if they are being specifically targeted while others believe these incidents are more random in nature.

"It’s difficult to pinpoint a single sentiment but overall there is a desire for greater security and reassurance that these kinds of incidents will not recur."

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West Mercia Police are continuing to search for those involved.

Fire crews and police officers cordoned off a section of the street while investigations were ongoing and warned people to stay away from the area. 

West Mercia Police inspector, Ed Shotton, said: "It has now been established the substance that was sprayed into the shop was a stink bomb.

"I hope the public understand the steps we took were necessary to ensure everyone's safety.

"At the time it wasn't known what the substance was, and it could've caused harm.

EMERGENCY: Police and fire crews were in Silver Street on Saturday (Image: Submitted)

"The behaviour was anti-social, had a significant impact on the local community and took up valuable time from emergency services.

"We will continue to work to identify those responsible.

"Anyone with any information is asked to get in touch by calling 01905 331030 and quoting incident number 342i of Saturday, August 10."

Krowka was open the following day.

Mr Wiśniewski added: "It’s important to emphasise that violence is never the solution to any issue.

"The priority now is to understand the motive behind this attack—whether it was a senseless act of recklessness or a deliberate attack fuelled by hate.

"Understanding the cause is crucial in preventing future incidents and ensuring the safety of everyone in our community."