UK Racist Couple Commands Their Dog To 'Kill' Filipino NHS Nurse In Ugly Encounter At West Yorkshire Park

A Filipino nurse working for the NHS has described a racially aggravated attack by an elderly couple in Halifax's Manor Heath Park after they allegedly ordered their dog to injure her.

Police confirmed that the pair were arrested but later released on conditional bail as enquiries continue. The confrontation, partly captured on video, has sparked condemnation and renewed debate about racism directed at healthcare professionals and ethnic minorities in the UK.

Confrontation at Halifax Park

The incident occurred on 28 August while the victim, Apple Moorhouse, was walking with her family. In footage shared online, she can be heard asking the couple to control their dog after it approached her six-year-old daughter.

The exchange quickly escalated. The man allegedly shouted racial abuse, including, 'Shut up, f*** off and go back to where you came from on the dinghy boat.' He then reportedly commanded the dog to 'kill' Moorhouse, according to the Daily Mail. The woman is said to have pulled Moorhouse's hair and tried to snatch her phone as she filmed the altercation. Moorhouse sustained minor injuries and later wrote on Facebook that the incident left her shaken.

The video has since been viewed thousands of times on social media, where it has prompted widespread condemnation and fuelled discussion about racism in public spaces.

Police Investigation and Community Reaction

West Yorkshire Police said a man and woman in their 60s were arrested on suspicion of racially aggravated assault on 31 August. They were held for questioning before being released on conditional bail. Officers are reviewing video evidence and appealing for witnesses who were in the park between 1:20pm and 1:40pm to come forward.

Moorhouse's Facebook post has drawn hundreds of supportive comments. Advocacy groups have called for stronger protections against racist abuse, while local councillors condemned the attack and urged a zero-tolerance approach to hate crime. NHS leaders acknowledged that racism and harassment remain persistent challenges for minority staff across the health service.

Racism Faced by NHS Staff

The case has reignited wider concerns about the abuse of healthcare professionals from minority backgrounds. According to the 2023 NHS Staff Survey, published in March 2024, 7.2 per cent of employees reported experiencing discrimination from patients or the public in the previous year, with ethnic minority staff disproportionately affected.

Charities working with frontline workers argue that such incidents not only harm individuals but also discourage skilled professionals from remaining in the health service. Campaigners are pressing for tougher penalties for racially aggravated assaults, especially when directed at public sector employees.

A Wider Debate

Advocacy groups say the Halifax incident is not an isolated case but part of a broader pattern of hostility experienced by migrants and ethnic minorities across the country. They argue it illustrates how casual racism, if left unchecked, can escalate into violence.

Moorhouse has thanked the public for their support but said the encounter has left her family deeply unsettled. 'This should never have happened in front of my child,' she told supporters online.

The case remains under investigation. For Moorhouse, the priority is now ensuring justice and recovering from what she described as a traumatic and unacceptable ordeal.