CHILDREN from Canvey’s Orthodox Jewish community have been targeted in anti-Semitic verbal attacks.

Naftali Noe, 31, has reported two incidents involving his own young children to police.

The first took place in Link Road on Saturday April 28 when his wife Miriam, 30, and daughters - aged six and eight - walked home from a nearby friend’s house. It involved a man, in his 30s, following the girls in his car and shouting abuse.

The second incident occurred last Friday while Mrs Noe was supervising their two daughters and two sons - aged ten and five - in their back garden in Link Road. A man in a pick-up truck shouted over their fence, which backs on to Morrisons, and threatened to jump over and attack them.

The truck sped off after Mr Noe was alerted and ran into the garden, and he managed to record the registration number.

Mr Noe said: “It’s so hard when you have your own children coming to you and saying ‘daddy you told us that Canvey was a peaceful place - why are we being shouted at?’

“I try to remind them that it is, and the vast majority of residents have been so welcoming to us and our way of life, but these incidents have really shaken them up. We’ve had some incidents like this before, but never towards our kids.”

The abuse follows several cases over the past year, including a group of youths waving Nazi salutes and shouting at residents.

The Noe family were featured prominently in a BBC documentary last year called Canvey: The Promised Island, which focused on the Haredi community as they settled in to their new home.

Mr Noe said: “I hope to make it clear that this doesn’t paint a picture of the Canvey we know, and when we have had problems in the past we have had neighbours and strangers alike coming to see us and let us know that we are welcome. I just want to make sure that we have a safe environment for our children, as well as other children from our community - that’s the most important thing to me.”

A spokesperson from Essex Police said: “We were contacted with reports a woman was verbally abused in Link Road, Canvey, at around 5pm on April 28. The suspect was driving a car and shouted at the victim. The incident was treated as a hate crime and enquiries were carried out to try and identify the suspect. Unfortunately there was no detailed description of the car or driver and no CCTV.

“The next incident at 6.30pm on Friday, May 4. A man in a pick-up truck verbally abused and threatened the victim’s family in Link Road. The incident is being treated as a hate crime.”

“We have close links with Haredi community leaders and are not aware of any increase in incidents. We do not tolerate hate crime in any form.” Anyone with information on the incidents is asked to call police on 101.