Centres for hate crime reporting

Peter Fahy wants to encourage reporting of hate crime

Police in Cheshire are setting up more than 40 centres for victims to report hate crimes.

The centres will be set up within support group bases, citizens' advice bureaux, council and housing offices, schools and universities.

Cheshire's Chief Constable Peter Fahy said hate crime "creates distrust" and is "very much a Cheshire issue".

The project is supported by campaigner Gee Walker, whose teenage son Anthony was murdered in Liverpool in 2005.

Trained staff

The centres will be staffed by people who are trained in diversity issues, what constitutes hate crime, the relevant law and the processes required to report it.

"We know victims of hate crime may have a reluctance to come forward or an inability to express themselves," Mr Fahy said.

"That is why today's launch is about starting up places where victims can come forward and report crimes."

Hate crime is a criminal offence committed against a person or property that is motivated by an offender's hatred of someone because of their race, colour, religion, gender, sexuality or disability.

It saddens me to see the list of young people dying every day because of hate crime Gee Walker

Mr Fahy added: "It is important to say that hate crime is not just about race. It is about people who are marked out to be different and are targeted because of this.

"One issue that is increasing is crime against disabled people or those with learning difficulties."

A campaign is under way to extend the definition of hate crime after the murder of Sophie Lancaster in a Lancashire park last year.

She was targeted because she was dressed as a Goth.

Gee Walker has been campaigning tirelessly against hate crime since her son Anthony was killed in a racially motivated attack.

She said: "He was the perfect son, it is every mother's dream to have a son like Anthony.

"Yet here I am, a mother with a broken heart. It saddens me to see the list of young people dying every day because of hate crime."

In Cheshire there were 553 racially motivated hate crimes reported last year; four against people with a disability; 77 with a homophobic motivation and 11 where people were targeted because of their religion.

The reporting centres include Birchwood CAB, Halton Borough Council, Warrington Borough Council, YMCA Warrington, Great Sankey High School, Manchester and District Housing, Bishops Bluecoat High School and Chester University.