POLICE officers held a panel to discuss domestic abuse in lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender communities.

The meeting took place at the Friends Meeting House in Mount Street, Manchester, and saw people from across the force attend.

The event was held to tie in with Manchester Pride, which is taking place this weekend.

Det Ch Supt Vanessa Jardine, for GMP, said: “We know that domestic abuse will be occurring within the LGBT community.

“We want to encourage victims and friends and family of victims to report the issue and have the confidence to come forward.

“There will be many people who are not aware of the processes in place once a crime is reported to police and by having this open forum I want to be able to dispel some myths and give people the confidence to report crimes in the knowledge that it will be dealt with appropriately.”

Deputy Police and Crime Commissioner Jim Battle said: “The sad reality is that domestic violence affects our communities, including the lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans communities.

“It’s really important that police and other agencies understand the sensitivities and concerns of different communities and the barriers that exist which prevent people from coming forward.

“The most important message is that it doesn’t matter who you are — gay or straight, male or female, young or old, rich or poor – support is out there if you are suffering domestic abuse.”

Lucy Rolfe, wellbeing manager for the Lesbian and Gay Foundation, said people face barriers in accessing the support they need due to stereotypes.