EAST Durham College and Durham Constabulary have joined forces to help raise awareness of hate crimes amongst local young people.

Events held at the college’s Peterlee Campus and at the Houghall Campus in Durham City included a number of different interactive sessions including talks from guest speakers BME independent advisory group vice chairman Mohammed Sadiq talking about racial hate crime, Gay Advice Darlington chief officer Emma Roebuck covering LGBT hate crime, and Jim Welsh, Chair of Blind Life Durham, speaking on disability hate crime.

Durham Constabulary set up the events to help reinforce positive messages to students and staff at the college by looking to promote local positive images, increase public satisfaction and increase the reporting of hate incidents.

Simone Collpitts of East Durham College said: “It’s great to be able to work with Durham Constabulary on this event, that has helped to bring some important issues to the attention of our students here at the college.

“We hope this event will reinforce positive messages to both staff and students across all of the East Durham College sites.”

Ron Hogg, Durham’s Police and Crime Commissioner, added: “Reducing the impact of hate crime is one of my personal priorities in my police and crime plan.

“These events are an excellent example of agencies working together to raise awareness of hate crime, for both staff and students alike.”