Teens Bailed After Homophobic Attack

Six Merseyside teenagers held over the brutal homophobic beating of an off duty police trainee have been granted bail.

James Parkes was set upon by up to 20 people after leaving a gay bar in Liverpool city centre on Sunday night.

The 22-year-old remains in a serious condition in hospital. He is being treated for multiple skull fractures and other injuries.

Police detained four 15-year-olds, a 14-year-old and a 17-year-old on suspicion of assault.

Detectives are now studying CCTV footage of the Stanley Street area where the attack took place.

Mr Parkes had spent the evening in the Superstar Boudoir with his partner and two friends prior to the incident.

The scene remains sealed off, and police have appealed for witnesses to come forward.

Detective Chief Inspector Tim Keelan said his officers were treating the attack as a homophobic hate crime.

He said the incident shows "there are still some people who have not learnt that crimes of this type are completely unacceptable".

"People who commit hate crimes can expect the full attention of the police and we will not rest until the offenders are brought to justice."

Mr Parkes, a former community support officer, recently began his training with Merseyside police to become a full constable.

Security has been heightened in the city centre since Sunday.

A study from gay right group Stonewall, supported by the Home Office, has suggested attacks on homosexuals is on the rise across the country.

Derek Munn, of the charity, said it was good such incidents were being taken more seriously by police.

However, he said research found one in five lesbian and gay people experienced a hate incident in the last three years.

Despite this, almost 75% of incidents went unreported.

Mr Munn said serious violence stemmed from the failure to take action over verbal abuse.

"If it (abuse) is not dealt with you can end up with the situation where young men in certain towns and cities in Britain clearly think it's acceptable to beat people up critically just because they think they're gay," he told the BBC.

(PR)