A NEW website has been launched which allows people to report incidents of ‘hate crime’ online and provides information and advice to victims.

Hate crimes are defined as incidents where people are subjected to physical or verbal abuse as a result of their race, sexuality or disability.

The website, called True Vision, has received the backing of West Mercia Police and other forces across England, Wales and Northern Ireland Across West Mercia as a whole, total hate crime figures dropped by four per cent, from 698 to 646, between 2007 and 2010.

In south Worcestershire, that figure dropped by nearly 10 per cent, from 233 to 211, between 2008 and 2010.

But there was a slight rise in the number of disability hate crimes from six to eight.

In November 2010, the Association of Chief Police Officers published its first set of national hate crime recorded crime statistics, which showed that during 2009 there were 52,028 hate crimes recorded, 1,402 of which were motivated by victims’ disability.

True Vision provides information for victims and the public about what hate crime is, why it is important to report it when it happens, and the range of ways hate crimes can be reported, including by a new online form.

The site also provides links to organisations that can offer support and advice.

Chief Inspector Andy Smith, head of equality and diversity at West Mercia Police, said: “The UK is among world leaders in the way it responds to hate crime, but there is still much work to do. One of the greatest challenges is to reduce the under-reporting of hate crime. We know that hate crimes have a profound and often long-lasting effect on individuals, their families and communities.

“We want anyone who experiences this to report it to the police and the launch of the true Vision web site will support this. I want people to feel confident that contacting West Mercia Police will make a difference.”

For more information, or to report an incident of hate crime, go to report-it.org.uk.