RACE crimes in Redditch have dropped significantly, according to figures released by town police.

A comparison of this year's figures to those for the same period last year show a 23 per cent reduction in offences reported in Redditch.

The number of detections has also improved, with an increase of 20 per cent.

Insp Gareth Prosser said: "We've embraced the True Vision scheme, an initiative supported by police forces across England and Wales, which aims to raise awareness of all aspects of hate crime.

"West Mercia as a force have developed True Vision packs, which Redditch officers have distributed widely to different town groups through our station open day and other events the police have hosted or participated in.

"These packs contain information on all aspects of hate crime, defined as any offence against a person or property which is motivated by the offender's hatred of people because they're seen as being different.

"We have specialist teams set up to investigate these crimes and victims can be assured of a supportive relationship with the police and an approach that takes care of individual needs.

"With our partner agencies, we have encouraged representation from minority groups on committees etc, so we can understand their needs better and create a mutual trust that gives members of these communities the confidence to report incidents.

"We take all such reports seriously and everyone within the police organisation is encouraged to do likewise though training programmes and ready access to information.

Insp Prosser added: "These figures are extremely encouraging but even one incident of racially aggravated crime is one too many."