WE like to think of York as a tolerant city. But while we have a less ethnically diverse population than cities such as Leeds or Bradford, we are not immune to bigotry.

A new city-wide initiative to tackle hate crime has been launched. It is very welcome, particularly given the growing numbers of foreign students coming to York to study, and the increasing number of Eastern European migrants.

Hate crime is not a big issue in York. We hope it never will be. But it is best to be ready, just in case.