RACIAL abuse will not be tolerated in Gwent and any incidents of hate crime should be reported directly to the police. This is the message from the Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) for Gwent and Gwent Police following a number of incidents of racial abuse reported across the UK in the wake of the EU referendum result. ?Anyone in Gwent who has been the subject of racist abuse, whether verbal, physical or online, is urged to report it directly to Gwent Police.?Hate incidents and crimes can include physical attacks, written or verbal insults, vandalism, graffiti and threatening behaviour.

PCC for Gwent, Jeff Cuthbert, said: “Some of our elected representatives including John Griffiths, the Welsh Assembly Member for Newport East, have highlighted that a number of their constituents have expressed concerns and anxiety after seeing incidents of hate in other parts of the UK following the results of the EU referendum vote. We don’t want victims to suffer in silence and I want to make it clear that any racial abuse will not be tolerated here in Gwent. The police will take a very serious view of the matter and there will be consequences for the perpetrators. We urge any victim to report these incidents so they can be dealt with appropriately.”

Detective Chief Superintendent Mark Warrender, lead for Hate Crime in Gwent and Chair of the Wales Hate Crime and Criminal Justice Board said: “I completely understand that many members of our communities may be concerned following the referendum result for the United Kingdom to leave the EU. The Police service takes all reports of hate crime seriously and takes a zero tolerance to perpetrators. In Gwent, all of our officers have received hate crime training and we also have a dedicated team of Hate Crime Support Officers who can provide specialist support. In Wales additional support for victims is available from Victim Support who can provide emotional and practical assistance.”

To report a hate incident or crime, call 101 in a non-emergency or call 999 in an emergency.