A PRIEST in Lincolnshire, the Revd Ian Walters, is recovering
after being attacked in a suspected road-rage incident.
Mr Walters, Priest-in-Charge of Gosberton, in Lincolnshire, was
punched in the face more than once during the attack on the A152
near Quadring, in south Lincolnshire, on Tuesday of last week.
He was driving on the A152 at about 8.30 p.m. when the incident
happened. He was found on the side of the road by an off-duty
police officer, who was driving by shortly afterwards, and required
treatment at Pilgrim Hospital in Boston for minor injuries.
The incident is being treated as a hate crime, as Mr Walters was
"in uniform", and the offender made verbal reference to it at the
time of the assault.
A 64-year-old man from Gosberton was arrested, and taken to
Boston custody suite. He was later released on bail for medical
reasons, and will return to Boston police station at a later
date.
A spokesman for the diocese of Lincoln said: "Our thoughts and
prayers are with Mr Walters, and we wish him a very speedy
recovery."
A police spokesman confirmed that a man had been arrested on
suspicion of racially or religiously aggravated assault.