Traders at Aberystwyth Market Hall have apologised after a stallholder born in Taiwan said she was verbally attacked because of coronavirus fears.

Su Chu Lu, who has run a Chinese clothing and crafts stall from the Market Hall since 2005, said three fellow traders asked her to leave the building over fears she would spread the virus. She had just returned from holiday in her homeland of Taiwan, not China.

A statement on the Aberystwyth Market Hall Facebook page said “genuine concerns” led to Su being asked “if she had considered taking steps to self-quarantine”.

Su Chu Lu said she went to work on her stall on Saturday, after returning from a break in Taiwan.

“When I arrived and got to my own stall, a trader immediately asked me to leave the building,” she said.

“The reason was I had just got back from Taiwan and I will put everyone who works in the hall at risk.

“Working in a public place like the hall, people pass-by every day travelling from different places and might be already infected with the virus. Why did they only target me? Because of my skin colour? Aberystwyth is an international town with a variety of nations and cultures.”

Su said she had received “a lot of support” from the other traders in Market Hall over the incident.

A statement on the Market Hall Facebook page said there is “genuine concern among traders about the coronavirus, as there is among the public” and said they “sincerely apologise that our concern has been misunderstood”.

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