Hate awareness course scrapped by Hampshire police chief

Police & Crime Commissioner Donna Jones said it was "vital" perpetrators of hate crime could expect "police action"

Sessions to educate people accused of committing hate crimes have been cancelled after an intervention from a police and crime commissioner (PCC).

Donna Jones, PCC for Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, scrapped the course after a man was arrested for sharing an anti-LGBT post on social media.

The post showed Progress Pride flags in the shape of a swastika.

Ms Jones said options for police action on hate crimes will remain but will be used "only where appropriate".

The two-hour educational sessions run by Hampshire Constabulary were for people accused of racism, sexism, misogyny and transphobia.

In a statement the PCC said: "I have decided that this hate crime awareness course will no longer be offered in Hampshire and Isle of Wight by way of a community resolution option.

"In saying this I want to be clear that when someone has been targeted and suffered violence or abuse because of their protected characteristics, and the incident reaches the evidential threshold for a hate crime, perpetrators can expect police action. This is vital.

"Other restorative justice and community resolution provision will still be in place for police to utilise for serious hate crimes and other incidents, but only where appropriate."

A spokesperson for the PCC confirmed to the BBC that the decision to stop the hate crime awareness course was directly linked to the decision to arrest a 51-year-old man from Aldershot.

Officers visited the property following the image - which was originally posted by actor Lawrence Fox - being shared again on social media.

The original tweet came from political activist and actor Laurence Fox

They agreed to return to the property the following day but were barred from entering the property, so arrested the 51-year-old so he could be interviewed.

A video of the arrest was later shared by Mr Fox.

Ms Jones said at the time of the Aldershot incident she was concerned about the "proportionality and necessity" of the police response, which saw another man also arrested for obstruction of a police officer.

"When incidents on social media receive not one but two visits from police officers, but burglaries and non-domestic break-ins don't always get a police response, something is wrong," she said.