VICTIMS of hate crime in the Selby district now have nine new centres where they can report incidents in confidence.

The centres were revealed yesterday at Selby Library and are intended to provide a “neutral” place where some of the estimated 75 per cent of unreported hate crimes can be brought to the attention of police. Victims will now be able to go to libraries, Citizens Advice Bureaus and children’s centres to report crimes to staff who will then pass details to police.

The campaign, which is a joint initiative between local authorities and North Yorkshire Police, aims to encourage those people to report the crimes.

The Mayor of Selby, Coun George Carter, said: “Hate crime is nasty and it is vicious and there’s no room for it in any decent society.”

The Reporting Centres can be found at: Horton Housing, First Floor, Community House, Portholme Road, Selby; Selby Citizen’s Advice Bureau at the rear of 4 Park Street; Selby Library in Micklegate; Selby North Children’s Centre in Flaxley Road; Selby South Children’s Centre in Barwic Parade; Sherburn Library in Finkle Hill in Sherburn-in-Elmet; Tadcaster Children’s Centre in Manor Farm Youth Centre in St Josephs Street, Tadcaster; Tadcaster Library in Station Road; and Brotherton Children’s Centre in Low Street, Knottingley.