A man was subjected to homophobic verbal abuse while standing outside a shop.

Police say the hate incident occurred by Londis in Little Oxhey Lane, South Oxhey, at around 9pm on April 27.

The victim, who is in his 20s, is said to have been approached by two teenage boys and a woman.

READ MORE: Gang who ran drug network jailed for 24 years 

The teens are believed to be aged around 13 and 17 and described as white. The alleged suspect, who is thought to be aged 13, is said to be roughly 5ft 2ins tall, police said.

PCSO Ross Huegdon said: "This incident has understandably left the victim shaken up. We have already conducted extensive enquiries, and are now turning to the public to ask for their help. 

"If you witnessed the incident, or if you have any information, please get in touch. Even something that may seem minor or insignificant could be key to progressing our investigation."

PCSO Huegdon added: "Hertfordshire is generally a safe and tolerant county, like anywhere else, crimes and incidents motivated by hatred can occur. We have specially trained hate crime officers, who work to tackle and challenge these incidents, educate people and support those who have been affected.

"Any incidents reported to police will be taken seriously and dealt with sensitively. Please, don’t ignore hate - report it."

READ MORE: Mum and daughter 'terrified' after person tries to enter house

Anyone who can help with PCSO Huegdon with his investigation in South Oxhey can email ross.huegdon@herts.police.uk or call 101 quoting crime reference 41/33548/22.

Contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or visit https://crimestoppers-uk.org/

Have you got a story for us? You can contact us here.

Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to keep up with all the latest news.

To receive breaking news alerts or newsletters sign up here.

Check out our Watford crime and court Facebook page here.