Following the incident in Finsbury Park, London, Avon and Somerset Police’s Neighbourhoods and Partnerships Superintendent Andy Bennett has issued a statement reassuring the public.
“In the wake of the latest tragic incident in London last night we want to reassure all our communities we are doing everything we can to keep them safe.
“Everyone has the right to live and worship peacefully without fear of being targeted for their ethnicity or religion.
“Over the coming days our neighbourhood teams will be contacting faith leaders to provide them with reassurance and to address any concerns they may have.
“We will also be carrying out additional high visibility patrols late into the evening, including areas around mosques.
There can never be any excuse for hate crime in any shape or form and criminality of this type will not be tolerated.
“If you are a witness or a victim of hate crime or feel vulnerable please contact someone to report it.
“More people are reporting hate crime than ever before but it is still significantly underreported. Don’t suffer in silence; there are people who can help you. “
You can call the police on 101, Crimestoppers on 0800 555111 or via their website at www.crimestoppers-uk.org, or visit the True Vision website (www.report-it.org.uk) for information, advice and to report online.
In an emergency, always dial 999.
