An 83-year-old pensioner was subjected to "racial abuse" during an argument over a garden hedge.

Rav Teeluck and his fiancée recently bought a house on Furzehill Road, Borehamwood, and had asked his elderly parents to oversee renovation works during the week while the couple were at work.

As part of the renovations, Mr Teeluck had hired a gardener to cut back the property' sovergrown hedges, which had reached heights of four metres and had been burnt by the previous home owner.

His 83-year-old fathe Jawaharlall Teeluck, who has a history of heart problems, had been supervising the gardening when a man approached him making racist remarks before hurling the gardener’s saw at him.

He was unhurt following the incident but his wife, who had been watching the incident from the porch, was shaken up.

Rav Teeluck said: “Neither of my parents said a word to the man during the whole ordeal, and they were so shocked and numb that they did not move to call the police.

“I went to pick them up in the evening, unaware of what had happened, and my mother only told me later than evening, teary eyed. I immediately called the police to give a statement.”

The police are currently investigating the incident, which occurred at 10am on July 25. Anyone with information is asked to contact police on the non-emergency number 101.