Edinburgh garage owner claims racial abuse amid noise dispute

Lothian Cars owner responds to local petition over noise complaints

Edinburgh garage owner claims racial abuse amid noise dispute
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The owner of an Edinburgh garage claims he has faced “racist abuse” as part of a dispute with local residents over noise. A petition has been launched by residents of the Abbeyhill area, which claims that the Lothian Cars MOT and service centre has made their lives “impossible” due to noise.

Mushtaq Khan, the owner of Lothian Cars, alleges that his business has been singled out by residents. Lukas, the founder of the petition, said he was unaware of any racial abuse but maintained that the noise from the garage is “unbearable.”

He said: “I spoke to many of my neighbours, and we’ve just had enough. The workers are shouting, they’re drilling. Some people have babies, work night shift. I tried to speak to the owner, and he didn’t even want to listen. I tried to speak to the council but that didn’t work either.” Lukas also believes the garage should be in an industrial estate.

Khan alleges that objects have been thrown at the garage and that a man purposefully punctured five tyres of cars parked outside his business.

Khan stated: “We’ve never ever retaliated, even when they’ve sworn at us or they’ve racially abused us. There’s been times when there’s been a guy in the window on the top floor [of the flats opposite] swearing racial abuse out the window.”

Khan also said that since a security alarm disturbed residents, he has stopped setting it at night to accommodate his neighbours. He feels his business is being unfairly targeted, citing a nearby brewery that he claims operates just as loudly. Lothian Cars has been in Abbeyhill since 2014, and the petition has so far received 52 signatures.

Source: Deadline News

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