SIKH community members gathered in Birmingham on Sunday night in solidarity with a woman who was the victim of a “vicious racist sex attack.”

A man in his 30s was arrested on Sunday evening on suspicion of rape after a British-born Sikh woman in her 20s reported being racially abused and sexually assaulted in Oldbury, West Midlands, last week.

The attack took place between 8am and 8.30am on Tame Road while the woman was on her way to work.

According to the Sikh Federation UK, the perpetrators told her: “You don't belong in this country, get out,” during the assault.

West Midlands Police said the man remains in custody and that they were still seeking another suspect, believed to be a white male.

In a statement released through the federation, the victim said she was “truly humbled” by the love and support shown by her local community.

She said: “I would never wish this on anyone. All I was doing was going about my day on my way to work, and what has happened has deeply affected us.”

“I truly hope [both perpetrators] are caught so that this doesn’t happen to anyone else.”

The attack followed an unprovoked racist assault on two elderly Sikh taxi drivers in Wolverhampton last month.

On Sunday evening, protesters gathered outside Guru Nanak Gurdwara Smethwick before marching to the scene of the attack.

Dabinderjit Singh of the federation welcomed police progress but called for further arrests and convictions.

The federation has launched a five-point action plan to increase pressure on the government, including writing to Ms Mahmood and Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer to demand that they urgently address rising levels of anti-Sikh hate.