A NEW initiative to tackle hate crime has been launched in Hereford.

The Newton Farm Community Association, at The Oval, will act as a third party reporting centre for victims of hate crime who will be able to go there to report their ordeal.

Staff have been trained to take reports of hate crime and the information they take can then be passed on to police who can investigate and offer further support.

It will be the second centre in the county to offer such service.

Rebecca Ashton, office manager at Newton Farm Community Association, said:

"We are glad that we are able to offer people a safe space in which to report hate incidents. We believe that everyone has the right to feel safe and we are proud to be helping West Mercia Police to tackle hate crime and ultimately reduce these unacceptable behaviours as much as possible.”

A hate crime is any criminal offence which is perceived by the victim or any other person to be motivated by a hostility or prejudice based on a person’s race, religion, sexual orientation, transgender identity, disability or individual characteristic that makes someone appear different.

Adrian Symonds, equality and diversity officer with West Mercia Police, said: "Our concern is that all crime is under-reported but especially hate crime.

"We are only seeing the tip of the iceberg in terms of reporting. We want people to come forward to report hate crimes in the confidence that they will be listened to and that we will act on the information they give us. No victim of hate crime should have to suffer in silence.

"The best way to stop hate crime is to report it, whether that is to the police, at the CAB or one of the other methods available to victims."

The Newton Farm Community Association office is open Monday to Friday from 9am to 4pm for people to go in and make a report.

Inspector Nick Semper, hate crime lead for Herefordshire, added: "There are many reasons why a person may not feel comfortable talking to the police about a hate crime so this is why we are always looking to make it easier to report such offences in a place where they feel more comfortable.”

Other ways of reporting a hate crime include visiting report-it.org.uk, calling 999 in an emergency or 101 for non-emergencies.