BOLTON Council, Bolton at Home, police and voluntary groups and charities joined forces to mark Hate Crime Awareness Week.

Voluntary groups ran information stalls at the University of Bolton, Royal Bolton Hospital and the Mental Health Independent Support Team charity shop in Great Moor Street throughout the week.

They promoted awareness of mental health issues and disabilities and aim to discourage people from committing hate crime.

Today (SAT) Bolton Wanderers Community Trust will be holding a football tournament for 12 to 18 year olds at the Reebok Stadium themed around community cohesion, followed by a workshop for young people to discuss hate crime in the Community Learning Zone.

Youth groups also got involved, with Harmony Youth Project delivering a dance and musical performance themed around hate crime last night (FRI) while Raise the Youth worked with schools to deliver a presentation to tackle the negative connotations associated with the word ‘gay’.

Bolton Clarion Choir will be commissioning an original song about hate crime awareness which will be performed in Bolton town centre today (SAT).

Cllr Derek Burrows, cabinet member for community safety said: “Hate crime is completely unacceptable and we are working with our partners to end it completely.”

Hate crimes and incidents can be experienced by anyone.

Victims and witnesses can report, anonymously if they wish, by calling the police non-emergency number on 101 or online via True Vision at report-it.org.uk.