A woman has told how a boy dressed as a monkey hollered homophobic abuse at her as she walked hand-in-hand through a park with her wife.

Ali Adolph, who earlier at Pride publically described how she loves Brighton and Hove because of its gay-friendly stance, was allegedly verbally abused by the boy and a group of his friends on Sunday at 8.30pm.

Sussex Police are now investigating the matter which took place in Queen's Park, Brighton.

Mrs Adolph, who lives with her wife Kate and two-year-old daughter in Hanover, Brighton, said she was horrified by the incident.

She said: “There were about 12 children, all about nine or ten years old, and about six of them were wearing onesies [all-in-one outfits].

“One boy started yelling abuse at us as we walked through the park - he was dressed as a monkey.

“It sounds ridiculous, but actually it was upsetting and I was angry.”

The Argus has taken the editorial decision not to publish what the boy and his friends reportedly said to the couple due to its offensive and homophobic nature.

Mrs Adolph, 44, who runs the The Short and Girlie comedy show, continued: “I said to him that he could not say things like that.

“I said, 'would you say something like that to your mother', and his friend said he would.

“I told him that you couldn't speak like that anywhere - but especially not in Brighton.

“I was offended and it is a criminal offence. We moved to Brighton because of its attitude - and you do not expect this.

“A day before I had been at Pride, compeering in a tent, and I said one of the things I love about the city was that you could walk down the street hand-in-hand with your girlfriend or boyfriend and no one would bat an eyelid.”

A Sussex Police spokesman confirmed the incident had been reported, adding: “We will be looking into this incident.

“All such reports are taken seriously by police as they can cause considerable fear among victims, other members of the community and local residents.

"We are committed to reducing all forms of hate crime and works closely with community groups to increase reporting, widen awareness, and build confidence with victims to help bring offenders to justice.”

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