THE number of racially-motivated incidents recorded by police in Chorley has shot up since the launch of a scheme to make it easier for victims to report them.

The Community and Race Relations Strategy, launched by Lancashire Police in April, was set up to establish an accurate picture of the numbers of 'hate crimes', such as racial and homophobic attacks.

Since then the number of these types of incidents has gone from 48 in the 12 months to March 31 this year, to 44 in less than eight months since then.

Mel Coombes, who is chairman of the borough council's ethnic minorities consultative committee, welcomed the strategy which includes the issue of reporting forms for people who consider themselves to have been a victim of racial and homophobic crimes. The forms contain a few simple questions and can be posted to the police free of charge.

Coun Coombes said: "This is a good initiative because people have been intimidated by the fact that they have been reporting incidents at the police station.

"People see them going in and the perpetrators used to threaten them. Now they are able to fill in forms at neutral points like a library and nobody knows whether they are going for a book or to fill in a reporting form."

He added that witnesses to hate crimes could and should report them to the police.

Inspector Peter Tickle, of Chorley Police, who is involved in the scheme, said: "The impact of any incident or crime can be greatly increased if it is motivated by racism or homophobia. It is important that these incidents are reported to the police so that the true scale of the problem can be ascertained and the appropriate action taken."

Victims and witnesses can pick up a form from Chorley Library, Chorley Citizens Advice Bureau, the County Information Centre, Chorley Youth and Community offices, the A and E department at Chorley and South Ribble Hospital, North British Housing office, Clayton Brook, Chorley Mosque, Lyons Lane, and Dr Bora's surgery, Eaves Lane, Chorley.

They are asked on the form if they would be prepared to talk to the police, but if they do not want to give their name the incident will still be recorded and the police will look into it.