Racialism Rears It's Ugly Head,

at the James Paget Hospital in Lowestoft,

Derek Malcolm, standing next to the sign that he feels is both 'racist and discriminatory' against black people, that ‘discouraged him’ from going inside as he feels that it is racist and discriminatory, Derek whose grandparents settled in the UK in 1959 after coming over from the West Indies, believes that the declaration that the hospital is ‘smoke free’ is unacceptable due to the way that the word ‘smoke’ can be interpreted to mean ‘black person.’ He said: ‘The word ‘smoke’ is just another horrible word that can be used to describe a black person, and while it is nowhere near as commonly-used as other terms in modern society, it is still an unacceptable insult to someone over the colour of their skin, although the hospital wants everyone to know that smoking is forbidden on the site, which we all agree is a great idea, I feel that in 2016 it is time to use wording that cannot offend anyone, that would be wrong with saying ‘cigarette-free’ or ‘no tobacco zone?’ ‘I have written to hospital bosses and given them 28 days to consider my request before I take it to a more legal level. I am delighted with the funding that I have secured through a generous donor.’

hopefully Derek will no longer have to endure the daily insult of these signs, Mr Malcolm’s lawyer Dennis Di Mennis QC told Southend News Network that this could be a ‘huge moment’ in the fight against racial prejudice in modern British society, He said: ‘If this case goes to court, it was throw up some fascinating and difficult questions that will need to be answered, one of my clients at the moment is a distraught Mexican domestic cleaner who works for a London company that has just changed its name to ‘Spick and Span Cleaning’ – he is just one person who could benefit from the outcome.’ ‘I also represent a group of 240 Italians who live in Wapping in East London – they are watching the situation with interest.’ I am sure we all hope for a speedy outcome for Derek and a Nationwide purge on these repulsive ‘Smoke’ signs.