MORE than 200 people have joined in the fight against racism in Leigh.

Public service employees from organisations such as Wigan Council, Wigan and Leigh NHS Trust and Age Concern are attending training courses aimed at increasing awareness of the issues raised by the Stephen Lawrence report.

The scheme is run by the Bolton Racial Equality Council and encourages people to use a form, called 730D, to record racist incidents.

The documents were devised by Greater Manchester Police and will be used by all agencies to report, record and investigate harassment in the borough.

Cllr Tom Sherratt, deputy leader of Wigan Council, said: "The training sessions were set up in response to the recommendations of the Stephen Lawrence report and have proved very popular with participants who are issued with guidelines on how to deal with incidents of racial harassment.

"The aim is to gather as much information as possible to help tackle what amounts to unacceptable behaviour in progressive Wigan Borough."

Organisations in Leigh are attending the training courses as part of the Wigan and Leigh Community Safety Partnership. The group has the slogan "as safe as we all make it" and involves many agencies, like the Greater Manchester Police Authority and Victim Support.