VICTIMS of "hate crime" in North Yorkshire are set to be able to report the offences against them on the internet.

North Yorkshire Police are to take up the True Vision scheme, as part of their on-going battle in the fight against hate crime - which includes offensive language or verbal abuse, offensive graffiti or literature, physical attack, damage to property, arson and continuous malicious allegations.

Offenders are motivated by race, language, religion, sexual orientation, disability, gender or age.

The Press told last week how organisations in York had joined together to come up with a new strategy to combat this type of crime.

Now the county's police force is set to join True Vision, launched in May 2004 by West Midlands, Staffordshire and West Mercia Police, to improve the service the police provide to minority communities.

It means sending out a single "self-reporting" and information pack, together with an on-line facility that allows anyone to report hate crime directly to the police via the internet. The packs would be available in police stations that have signed up to True Vision; they would also been distributed to a variety of pubs, clubs, libraries and health groups.

The scheme allows victims and other people affected by hate crime to notify the authorities about incidents and seek advice on the support available to them.

It is believed to make cross border reporting easier, as a crime may have taken place in one force area but can be reported to a neighbouring force.

North Yorkshire Police Authority is also being asked to decide whether "third party reporting centres", where a victim of hate crime can report what has happened to them to someone other than the police, should be introduced across York and North Yorkshire.

They can include housing organisations, community networks, schools, Victim Support and some council departments. The initiative has been supported with a Home Office grant of £90,000.

North Yorkshire Police said in 2004 that they would back the initiative, but have so far not taken it up.

The move comes as a result of the Stephen Lawrence Inquiry Report, which referred to the gaps in co-operation, sharing of information and learning between agencies, in the investigation into the death of the teenager in 1993.

It recommended developing a "multi-agency response" to race hate crimes.

One of the recommendations states that: "All possible steps should be taken by police services at a local level, in consultation with all sectors of the community, to encourage the reporting of racist incidents and crimes."

It adds that these steps should include giving the public the ability to report at locations other than police stations.

A police authority report states: "Due to many cultural reasons the police are not always the first point of contact for our minority communities. In order to make sure that they do not suffer from unreported hate incidents the ease of reporting such crimes in places that they are comfortable in attending is crucial in not further isolating them from the rest of our communities."

A victim or witness would not have to give their personal details to the reporting centre and so could remain anonymous if they wished. This still allows the police and other agencies to gather information on the levels of hate crime, identify hotspots and share intelligence.

A third party reporting centre would also be able to refer victims and witnesses to other relevant agencies which offer support, advice and information.

The report will be heard by North Yorkshire Police Authority's Performance Audit and Scrutiny Board on Wednesday.