A POLICE force has officially adopted crimes against sex workers into its policies against hate crimes across the region.

On Friday, North Yorkshire Police said it was now following the 'Merseyside Model', set up in 2006 by Merseyside Police as a means to recognise crimes against sex workers as hate crimes. 

The force said it was now encouraging sex workers to report anything that could be classed as a hate crime or hate incident. 

Inspector Ed Rogerson of North Yorkshire Police said: “It’s clear that some sex workers are targeted because of their sex working and these offences should be treated as hate crimes.

"Hate crime can take various forms, including physical attacks, threat of attack, online harassment and verbal abuse or insults.

“Sex work is legal between consenting adults, but as a force we understand that a lot of sex workers are wary of the police and, for a range of reasons, are often anxious about reporting to the police should they be victims of crime."

Insp Rogerson said sex workers may still remain worried that they are judged, not taken seriously or arrested, if they become identified to members of the public.

Insp Rogerson added: “I want to reassure sex workers that this is not the case in North Yorkshire, and that we strongly believe they deserve and will receive the same level of respect and protection as everyone in our communities.”

Earlier this week, the force said it formally adopted the act of Misogyny under its hame crime police in 2017.