LATEST crime figures for north and west Wiltshire have highlighted a dramatic increase in the number of homophobic and racial hate crimes reported to the police.

Figures for April to August show a 260 per cent rise in homophobic incidents and a 33 per cent rise in racial crimes.

However recorded crime is down 21 per cent and violent crime is also down 15 per cent in the same period.

Community Safety Officer Adrian Burt believes that the increase in reported homophobic and racial incidents is due to minority groups having more confidence in the police.

He said: "People are now more confident in reporting incidents to the police whereas before they may not have reported them at all.

"I think it is through working with organisations like the Wiltshire Racial Equality Council and Gay Men's Health which makes people feel more confident.

"The reason people didn't report to us is that they feared victimisation."

PC Burt also pointed to the recent changes within the police force as a result of national recommendations in the light of the Steven Lawrence case.

Simeone Foster, of Wiltshire Racial Equality Council, based at Bridge House, Trowbridge, believes that relationships between ethnic minorities and the police has improved over the past year.

He said: "We are delighted that people feel encouraged to report these incidents.

"There is still a problem with race crime against ethnic minorities. It shows that things are not well in the area.

"When people come to us we always encourage them to go to the police."

Wiltshire police are also planning to implement a new third party policing scheme, which will allow witnesses or victims of hate crimes to report the incident either anonymously or in writing.