Is it illegal in UK for someone to be verbally racisist in the street?

An Asian friend of mine is very upset. He was doing his regular fitness run and went down a particular road he always uses as part of his routes, because its diverse terrain is ideal for joggers. There were two women standing outside a house and as he ped one yelled, "Keep running you ***, don't come near my house again, don't walk, keep running..." Are racial insults in a public place ilegal in UK? He's very devastated now because he has a wife (also an Asian) and 9 month old daughter, there has never been cases of racism in his peaceful neighbourhood, and now he fears their safety whenever his wife takes the child out for a walk in the push-chair.