VICTIMS of "hate crime" in North Yorkshire are set to be able to report the offences against them on the internet.

North Yorkshire Police are to take up the 'True Vision' scheme, as part of their on-going battle in the fight against hate crime - which includes offensive language or verbal abuse, offensive graffiti or literature, physical attack, damage to property, arson and continuous malicious allegations.

Offenders are motivated by race, language, religion, sexual orientation, disability, gender or age.

The Press told last week how organisations in York had joined together to come up with a new strategy to combat this type of crime.

Now the county's police force is set to join True Vision, launched in May 2004, by West Midlands, Staffordshire and West Mercia Police, to improve the service the police provide to minority communities.

It means sending out a single "self-reporting" and information pack, together with an on-line facility that allows anyone to report hate crime directly to the police via the internet.

The packs would be available in police stations that have signed up to True Vision'; they would also been distributed to a variety of pubs, clubs, libraries and health groups.

  • See today's The Press for more details