A man has been charged in connection with alleged racial abuse and assault of police officers in Shanklin.

In the early hours of Sunday morning (9 January) police responded to a disturbance in Milford Road, before locating a man in St Paul’s Crescent. It’s alleged that a man-made threats towards police on arrival, and later assaulted two officers – one of which was subjected to racist abuse. Thomas Jack Riordan, aged 25, of Church Road in Shanklin, was charged with common assault of an emergency worker, racially aggravated common assault, and using threatening or abusive words/behaviour with intent to cause fear of violence or provoke violence. He was remanded in custody to appear at Portsmouth Magistrates’ Court today (Monday 10 January).