POLICE in Lancashire have announced a campaign aimed at stamping out gay and lesbian 'hate' crime.

The new offensive has been launched after two years of research and talks with the county's homosexual communities. Criminals who attack or harass gays and lesbians because of their sexuality will be targeted by the police.

And all eight police divisions in the county will have a specially appointed officer who has been handed the job of liaising with the homosexual community. The move follows a report by the Inspector of Constabulary, which urged every force in the country to have a policy aimed at dealing with homophobic incidents.

Inspector Gill Jacques from the partnerships and community safety department said: "Over the last two or three years we have been working on partnerships with the gay and lesbian community. The sort of crime we are looking at is not just assaults but harassment, which can mean any number of things."

Assistant Chief Constable Mike Tinge added: "Our policy aims to ensure that gay men, lesbians and bisexuals receive fair and consistent treatment from the constabulary." PC Tim Maddox, a minorities officer based in Accrington, will liaise with the gay community in Blackburn, Darwen and Hyndburn. Inspector Jeff Lee will cover Burnley, Pendle and Rossendale.

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