A Finnish woman who has called Chester home for the past 10 years is calling on the people of the city to unite against hate crimes and scaremongering in the wake of Brexit.

Katja Knox, who lives in Hoole, has been told to leave the country by strangers in pubs and contacted on Facebook by a man she has never met who called her marriage to English husband Tom a ‘sham’ in the days since Britain voted to leave the European Union.

The Chronicle reported earlier this week on a German woman living in the city who has had dog excrement thrown at her door during a string of xenophobic attacks.

But editorial account manager Katja is determined for positivity to triumph over negativity and has set up a Facebook group for Chester residents – regardless of where they were born – to ‘voice their support for each other’.

Katja with her husband Tom
Katja with her husband Tom

“Immigrants and natives alike need to rally together,” said Katja.

“I think there has been a lot of fearmongering and I think the vacuum of power is causing a lot of tension as well.

“What I really want is to drive the positive narrative over the negative narrative of the vote and its result.”

The 'Chester Supports its Immigrants' group is intended as a ‘safe’ forum for people to discuss developments since the referendum and ‘celebrate what bring us together rather than what divides us’, Katja explained.

It has already amassed almost 300 members in less than three days, which Katja described as ‘heartwarming’.

She said: “I feel like that is a credit to the city and it is really touching to see people coming together.”

Members want to hold an event to celebrate ‘hope not hate’ and are appealing to local businesses who would be willing to host them.

The group has already generated a number of supportive comments since it was created. For more information, click here.