Deputy Police and Crime Commissioner Andy Coles and Sergeant Phil Priestley hit Ely market in bid to tackle hate crime

The Deputy Police and Crime Commissioner and officers from Ely police station have been out and about in the city spreading awareness of hate crime in East Cambridgeshire.

Andy Coles joined Sergeant Phil Priestley and members of the operational crew from Ely Fire Station at Ely Market today (October 13) in a bid to tackle the issue as part of Hate Crime Awareness Week.

Sgt Phil Priestley said: “We have spoken to members of the public from a diverse cross section of backgrounds and life experiences and it has been beneficial to hear personal stories and address the questions that people needed to raise.

“One lady who is elderly and deaf, explained the anxiety that she felt for being targeted at Halloween by perpetrators who had thrown eggs at her house.

“Another gentleman sought reassurance around the amount of publicity given over in tabloid journalism to crimes committed by ethnic minority groups, immigrant communities, and people of Muslim faith.

“It is incredibly important to address these issues properly - and I’m incredibly grateful to those who came to speak to us and engage with us on their experiences and fears.

“We hope everyone that we engaged with today learned something about hate crime - everybody that spoke to us gave us something to consider.”

Hate Crime Awareness Week continues until Saturday October 15.