Met Cops Tackle Race Hate

Metropolitan police officers have carried out raids across London to tackle domestic, homophobic and race hate crime.

Wednesday's operation marked the International Day for the elimination of Violence Against Women, known as White Ribbon Day, and is accompanied by 16 days of activity to combat all forms of violence against women.

Met officers were proactively targeting dangerous and prolific offenders in each of London's 32 boroughs as part of Operation Athena, now in its ninth year.

There were well over 100 arrests for a range of offences including assault, damage to property and a variety of other offences connected to domestic violence and hate crime.

The main thrust of the action was to combat violence against women, but it also encompassed all hate and faith hate crime.

This includes racist, homophobic and disability motivated hate crime, as well as crimes against the vulnerable or older people by members of their own family, carers and people in positions of trust.

Commander Mark Simmons, Head of the Met's Violent Crime Directorate, said: "We are committed to tackling violence in all its forms and aim to intervene at the earliest opportunity to protect and support all victims and seek the prosecution of perpetrators."

(BMcC/KMcA)