'Don't suffer in silence' - Hartlepool community safety officials' appeal to hate crime victims

The appeal comes from the multi-agency Hartlepool Community Safety, Team which is made up of Hartlepool Borough Council, police and fire staff.

Philip Hepburn, the council’s community safety operations manager, said: “We are not prepared to tolerate hate crime in any of its forms, but to enable us to take action it is important that people inform us of issues as and when they occur.”

A hate crime is any crime or incident viewed by the victim, or anyone else, because of a their disability, gender identity, alternative sub-culture, race, ethnicity, nationality, religion, faith or belief or sexual orientation.

Hate crime can be reported in confidence including by calling Cleveland Police on 101, via Hartlepool Borough Council’s website, or at a number of Third Party Reporting Centre, details of which can be found at www.hartlepool.gov.uk.

More information and advice can be found at www.report-it.org.uk/home.