A gay Catholic priest in Liverpool has been left “petrified” after he was subjected to homophobic abuse in a “disgusting” hate crime. Father Paul Newbery is a priest at Merseyside Open Community Church in Liverpool, which is part of the LGBT-inclusive United Liberal Catholic Church. Newbery, who also works as a taxi driver, told the Liverpool Echo: “I was polishing my new minibus I use as a taxi driver when this man came over to me and started shouting about two people hiding behind my taxi the night before. “He then started calling me a dirty faggot and said he would knock me up and down the street. “I was trying to tell him that I didn’t know what he was talking about but he wouldn’t listen and carried on shouting homophobic slurs at me.” Newbery came out as gay two decades ago, and said he was nervous when he first moved to Liverpool, fearing he would encounter homophobia. In the last 20 years he has never experienced hatred, and found the city “welcoming”, but now he’s been left “petrified”. The Catholic priest continued: “Since the attacks recently, I don’t feel safe going to bars on Concert Square. Which is a real shame as I’m sure there are some really great ones I would really like. “Hatred isn’t my Liverpool and the place that I know and love. “I don’t know what has changed but it needs to stop, it is not okay to attack people or shout homophobic slurs from across the street. It has never been okay and never will be. It’s disgusting.” Father Paul Newbery has contacted the police, who have confirmed that they are treating the incident as a hate crime and are set to interview someone in connection with the abuse.