Helen ThompsonTHERE are more prosecutions for gay hate crimes in Wiltshire than anywhere else in the south west, new figures have revealed.

The number of crimes against people in the county who are gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender was higher than much larger city areas including Greater Manchester and Merseyside.

Crown Prosecution lawyers prosecuted 11 homophobic crime cases in Wiltshire between April 2004 and March 2005.

Eight people were convicted after entering guilty pleas. One case was dismissed after a trial and two discontinued after allegations were withdrawn.

In comparison, nine prosecutions were launched in Avon and Somerset, eight in Merseyside and 10 in Greater Manchester.

There was only one prosecution in neighbouring Gloucester-shire.

This is the first year figures on homophobic crime have been published by the CPS.

Nationally, the CPS prosecuted 317 gay hate crimes last year.

Of these, 190 resulted in a guilty plea and a further 34 resulted in conviction after trial. The conviction rate was 71 per cent.

Director of Public Prosecutions Ken Macdonald QC said: "While these figures sadly show that there remains prejudice in our society, I hope that they also show an increased confidence in the CPS so that victims come forward and report attacks, despite fears they may have.

"This is testimony to the efforts of our staff and police initiatives. We will not tolerate any kind of hate crime."

Yesterday's figures come two months after a gay man was attacked as he walked through a Swindon park.

The victim was approached by three thugs and robbed in Faringdon Road Park in the early hours of the morning. He was struck by one of the assailants but was uninjured.

And earlier this year police revealed how they fear that up to three quarters of gay-hate crime is going unreported in the town.

A survey by a criminologist from Portsmouth University was launched to establish why. Dean Blackmore, an expert on homophobic hate crime, visited gay nightspots in town to gauge how much trust the community has in the police.

Helen Thompson is chairwoman of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Coalition in Swindon.

She said she expected the figures.

"I'm really not surprised at all. There is a lot of homophobia in Swindon and there have been several homophobic attacks carried out on people.

"In the gay pubs in Swindon we hear of things happening and people being attacked that are not reported.

"So it could be that the real levels of homophobic crime are even higher than the figures the police have."

Diana Milne