A NETWORK of support for victims of hate crime was officially rolled out across County Durham today (Monday, January 19).

Under the slogan Report it to Sort it a range of agencies have come together to give victims the channels to report the crime and get the support they need.

Hate crime is when a person is targeted for abuse for specific reasons such as their skin colour or sexuality.

Schemes such as Safe Places, which provides a range of safe havens across the area for hate crime victims to get support; and Community Hands, a dedicated volunteer helpline number for potential victims, are just some of the innovative tactics being used to tackle the issue.

A pilot scheme was launched in Darlington last summer and is now being rolled out across County Durham.

The partner agencies, which include Durham Constabulary, Crown Prosecution Service, Durham County Council, Darlington Borough Council and the office of the Police and Crime Commissioners also aim to demonstrate to offenders that hate crime will not be tolerated.

Durham Police and Crime Commissioner Ron Hogg said: "We need to do everything we can to help those in our communities who are suffering from hate crimes, and support those who become a victim of this in the future.

“Hate incidents are crimes which are taken seriously, and I hope this week gives individuals the confidence to report these to the police, instead of suffering in silence.

"This week is very much about partners working together to raise awareness of what a hate crime is, as well as signposting individuals to other local schemes which are there to help individuals who need advice and support.”

A list of Safe Places to Be is at durham-pc.gov.uk