Isn't it about time we broke down the barriers?

I was nine-years-old and strolling up Mealcheapen Street with my mum, stepfather and younger sister.

"Go home you paki, and leave our women alone," a man in his 20s spat as he strode past, directing his beautifully eloquent point of view at the man I knew as my dad.

Of course, it was pointless stopping to explain his mum was actually from India, his dad from South Yemen and he hadn't had to put a gun to my white mother's head to get her to say, "I do".

The long and short of it is that racism cuts deep and is a wild discrimination which sees children spat on, women cruelly pushed off kerbs and Asian taxi drivers ritualistically abused as part of a day's work.

It is an ugly beast which seeps into society, from the days the Irish "need not apply" to today's post 9/11 climate, whereby Muslims across the world are finding themselves more and more ostracised.

Britain alone has been turned upside down, with asylum seekers branded leeches sucking away at the country's lifeblood and anyone born the "wrong" colour, at risk of being labelled a terrorist.

In Worcester, nothing demonstrates the razor-sharp impact of racism better than the attack on Kashmir-born Shazan Khalid as he stood innocently in a McDonald's queue with his four-year-old cousin.

In a mindless rant, Private Adam Fleming, who had ironically just returned from action in Iraq, called Mr Khalid an "Iraqi bastard" before headbutting him in the face.

The court's decision to spare him jail was seen as another betrayal to the ethnic minority community, which, as it is, has little confidence in the British criminal justice system.

This is especially so after a recent report into West Mercia's Crown Prosecution Service revealed a serious lack of commitment to racial equality.

Chief crown prosecutor Jim England has pledged to improve the situation, but the CPS still stands accused of having "tenuous" contact with Worcestershire Racial Equality Council and needs to have a more "a positive dialogue" with ethnic minorities.

The report highlighted the need for a more pro-active approach when dealing with cases arising from race crimes and slated the CPS for giving an impression of complacency.

But Mohammed Aslam, chief executive of Worcestershire Racial Equality Council, said the problem was much worse, with the CPS failing to contact any of the three regional equality councils for at least a year.

He said, although there were daily racist attacks in the city, prosecutions for many were rare and public confidence was at an all time low.

"Black people do not trust agencies in the criminal justice system and believe white culprits will not be prosecuted," he said.

"Although it's our job to work with the CPS and try and build its image as a competent and fair service, that's the perception.

"It is a predominantly white organisation which has little understanding of black and ethnic communities.

"According to Home Office statistics, the number of convictions of ethnic minorities are disproportionate to the number of people in this country and the sentence passed down is disproportionate to the crime compared to their white counterparts.

"This damning report should be a wake up call and shouldn't be taken lightly."

He praised, however, the police and probation service for investing heavily in time and resources to combat racism.

"They have appointed people specifically to ensure the REC (Racial Equality Council) is an integral part of the process," he said.

"But if the CPS decide not to pursue a case or do a "deal", that's where it is left and we are kept in the dark.

"If your windows are smashed or your wife or child is pushed off the pavement, you'd think there would be repercussions but people in these communities have stopped reporting incidents because they do not feel they will be fairly represented.

"Its not helped by the fact around 80 per cent of the Asian community can't read or write to a competent level and 65 per cent are probably illiterate.

"They are heavily dependent on their children, who sometimes twist things they hear because they are angry.

Still, prevention is always better than the cure and stamping out racism comes down to stamping out ignorance.

"Muslims, in particular, are persecuted but in general, they are hard working, decent, law abiding people who have never been in trouble with the law," he said.

"I myself have been spat on and even had two work colleagues turn their backs on me after September 11 because I was a Muslim.

"If it seems these communities are refusing to mix or young people choose to have friends from their own culture, it's most likely because they have been treated badly or know other people who have.

"Having arenas where people can mix is also a problem.

"Muslims don't go to pubs and clubs but Indian theatres or cinemas and the high level of unemployment also leads to a breakdown in relationships.

"But at the end of the day, it's not just their responsibility and you have to ask yourself, how many white people can say they would invite an Asian neighbour round for dinner?

"It's got to be a joint effort."

Anyone who been racially abused or would like to share their views, even anonymously, should call Melanie Hall on 01905 742248 or email mjh@thisisworcester.co.uk