A child has allegedly been shot in Bournemouth amid a rise in anti-Semitic incidents across the town.
The Jewish teenager was apparently fired at from a car passing by in the East Cliff area of the popular seaside resort on Saturday.
The boy is said to be well except for some swelling on his forehead.
Dorset Police confirmed it was looking into the incident and had increased patrols protecting Bournemouth’s Jewish community, which has 2,000 members.
Meanwhile, swastikas have started appearing on buildings across Bournemouth, The Times reports.
The popular seaside resort has seen a sharp increase in the Nazi symbols being graffited on walls and homes.
Rabbi Bentzion Alperowitz noticed one on the side of his own house as he was heading to synagogue on Saturday morning with two of his five children.
The junior rabbi at Chabad Bournemouth revealed it was ‘very upsetting and alarming’ to spot the offensive sign while accompanied by his two daughters, seven and 10.
Rabbi Bentzion Alperowitz, pictured, noticed a swastika on the side of his house as he was heading to synagogue on Saturday morning with two of his five children, amid a spate of anti-Semitic incidents in Bournemouth including a Jewish teenager being shot at
The popular seaside resort has seen a sharp increase in the Nazi symbols being graffited on walls and homes
Fellow members of the Jewish community in the town have helped him and his family erase the swastika.
Mr Alperowitz said: ‘I was born and grew up in Bournemouth and this is not the Bournemouth I know. Bournemouth is a kind, beautiful place and I feel this is still the truth for the vast majority of people here.
‘Be proud to be Jewish and never allow these forces of darkness and forces of evil to instil fear into our hearts.’
According to the Community Security Trust (CST), a charity which aims to protect the Jewish community in the UK, there were 1,521 anti-Semitic incidents in the country in the first half of 2025 – the second highest for any period recorded by the organisation.
The group posted on X: ‘CST is appalled by a series of anti-Jewish hate crimes in Bournemouth over the weekend.
‘These are abhorrent acts of racism that are deeply distressing for the Jewish community and should alarm everybody.
‘We are supporting the local Jewish community and working with Dorset police to assist their investigation. We urge anyone with information about these incidents to contact the police and CST.’
CST’s regional head for Hampshire and Dorset, Andrew Kaye, said: ‘The police are taking it very seriously and are undertaking a full investigation at the highest level.’
The junior rabbi at Chabad Bournemouth, pictured, revealed it was ‘very upsetting and alarming’ to spot the offensive sign
A spokesman for Dorset Police said: ‘At around 2.50pm on Saturday August 23, two people were walking in Manor Road in Bournemouth when the driver of a car stopped and made offensive comments toward them.
‘It is reported that one of the people — a teenage boy — was subsequently shot at with an air weapon. He sustained a minor head injury.
‘Detectives are leading the investigation to locate the occupants of the vehicle and to establish the full circumstances of the incident. The incident is being treated as a hate crime.
‘Officers are engaging with the local community and carrying out patrols in the area. We would encourage anyone with information or concerns to please speak with an officer.’
