POLICE in York met members of the public to highlight National Hate Crime Awareness Week.

North Yorkshire Police officers and staff were outside York Explore on Saturday to speak with the public about how to recognise hate crime and how it can be reported.

PC John Armstrong said: "It's a national campaign to encourage people to report any hate crime to police. Especially in North Yorkshire, we like to take positive action when people report that to us.

"The reaction has been fantastic. We're making people aware of the five characteristics of hate crime - based on race, religion, sexuality, gender or disability - they can contact us. We've talked to a lot of people who are now aware that if they do see hate crime in future, they can report it to us. Not only that, but they can raise awareness to their friends and colleagues or family about what they can do if they see that in the future."

Lubna Lazrak works in crime recording at the North Yorkshire Police force control room, and joined officers outside York Explore.

Lubna, who also works with Unison, said: "We've had very good engagement with people coming forward and we're making them aware. We have had some reports that some people have had it previously, so it's about making them aware they can report it to the police or the other avenues available to report hate crime."

As well as advising the public to speak to police, officers handed out details of other organisations who can assist people in reporting hate crime, including Stop Hate UK, Supporting Victims North Yorkshire, True Vision and Tell MAMA, which specialises in recording anti-Muslim attacks.

Lubna said: "Tell MAMA is an independent support group, they can take all the details necessary because some people don't feel confident talking to the police. Language may be one of those barriers, so they can speak to somebody independently like Tell MAMA who can contact the police and pass that forward.

"If you want to report directly to the police and English may not be your first language, we will take the basic details but when an officer attends we do have translators who would be speaking your language and be able to take that information from you."

PC Armstrong said that although National Hate Crime Awareness Week came to an end on Saturday, North Yorkshire Police would continue to promote awareness of the issue.

He said: "It's 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. We will take peoples' concerns seriously.

"We are promoting a national campaign but I'm sure over the next year until next year's campaign, we will be putting stuff out."

To find out more about reporting hate crime, phone 101, or go to supportingvictims.org, tellmamauk.org or phone Stop Hate UK on 08001381625.