Gwent Police is raising awareness of hate crime during Hate Crime Awareness Week, from the October 13 to October 17.

The week will be filled with multiple sessions that address the main groups of hate crimes and the support people can expect if they are its victims. Ahead of the week, local Community Support Officer Ruth Moyse explained to the Chronicle what a hate crime is and what to do if you believe you are a victim.

CSO Moyse said, "We know that hate crimes are under reported and there are various reasons for this.

"What we are trying to do, especially during Hate Crime Awareness Week, is to raise people's awareness of what a hate incident or crime is, and for people who have experienced this, to ensure they know that we have trained officers who can support them through the process, up to and including court if necessary.

"We know how debilitating it can be when someone is targeted because they are perceived to be different somehow, and we want to reassure people that there are steps we can take to make a difference. 

"For an incident to be classed as hate motivated there has to be a belief that the incident occurred because of a prejudice towards the person or property. That belief can come from the victim, a witness or even the police officer who investigates the incident."

CSO Ruth Moyse went on to say "Each day of the week Gwent Police will be highlighting a different strand of hate crime, Monday will be focussing on religion, Tuesday will be disability, Wednesday is sexual orientation, Thursday is race and Friday will be gender identity.

"We are also aware that there are other incidents which occur due to prejudice and stereotyping. I would urge anyone to contact the police on 101 if they experience any form of hate incident."