CHESHIRE Police and Warrington Borough Council have announced a zero tolerance approach to tackle hate crime in the community.

They will work with minority communities like Gypsies to combat race and religiously motivated crimes as well as anti-Muslim hate crime.

Cllr Hitesh Patel, executive board member for personnel and communications, said: “Hate crime can destroy lives and can stop people from living and enjoying their everyday lives.

“It affects whole communities and inflicts long-lasting damage on the fabric of our society. It hurts all of us.”

Hate crime involves harassing, victimising, intimidating or abusing someone because of their race, faith, religion, disability, sexual orientation or gender identity.

The police also want to increase awareness of ‘mate crime’, in which a perpetrator befriends a vulnerable person with the intention of then exploiting the person financially, physically or sexually.

If you are a victim of, or witness a hate crime report it to the police on 999 or 101. You can also report incidents online at the police True Vision website.