POLICE are attempting to stamp out hate crime after they recorded hundreds of reports in the last year.

North Yorkshire Police’s No Home Here campaign is focusing on the effects of hate crime on victims and communities.

In the last year, police received reports of 263 hate crimes and 52 hate incidents, with 60 per cent of those being racially motivated.

A man was recently sentenced to ten months imprisonment, suspended for 18 months, for physically and verbally racially abusing bar staff.

Another man was sentenced to 18 months imprisonment for religiously abusing a doctor who was treating him in hospital and assaulting a security guard.

Hate crime is defined as any criminal offence which is perceived by the victim or any other person to be motivated by hostility or prejudice based on a person’s actual or perceived disability, race, religion, sexual orientation or gender identity.

In May 2017, North Yorkshire Police added misogyny into its hate crime policy.

Superintendent Mark Khan, lead in the force for hate crime, said: “Being singled out and targeted with verbal or physical abuse, or having your property damaged because of your race, religion, disability, sexual orientation or gender identity is incredibly intimidating.

“Offences like these cause people to live in fear and change their daily behaviour, in the attempt to avoid further unprovoked attacks.

“Some victims feel isolated and helpless and believe that this abuse is a way of life, that they have to accept the behaviour which is targeted at them.”

The force is tackling five issues over as many months to raise awareness about emotional and physical crimes.

These are domestic abuse, child neglect, stalking and harassment, hate, and modern slavery and human trafficking.

They are encouraging local communities to report incidents, as well as victims.

Supt Khan added: “These are real crimes like vandalism, graffiti, arson, cyberbullying, offensive communications, physical and verbal attacks or financial exploitation – all of which are motivated by prejudice and hate, both of which have no home here.”

You can report hate crime to North Yorkshire Police by calling 101, or in an emergency dial 999.