COUNCILLORS in Wyre Forest are uniting against racism in the district following an upturn in reported hate crimes across the UK since the European Referendum.

Wyre Forest District Council leader, Councillor Marcus Hart, secured unanimous cross party support for a motion condemning racism at Wednesday evening's (July 27) full council meeting.

Cllr Hart told the meeting: "We are proud to live in a diverse and tolerant society. Racism, xenophobia and hate crimes have no place in our country.

"We condemn racism, xenophobia and hate crimes unequivocally and would not wish to see the sort of attacks that have happened in other parts of the country become acceptable here.

"Wyre Forest District Council will work with other local bodies including West Mercia Police and the Community Safety Partnership to fight and prevent racism and xenophobia.

"All residents living in the Wyre Forest are valued members of our community.

"We condemn any such attacks and fully support the police and law enforcement agencies tackling this racist, xenophobic and criminal behaviour."

Conservative Councillor Chris Rogers said: "In my professional life it has been my great privilege to travel to many, many countries in this world and wherever I have been I have been met with warmth and friendliness.

"I am absolutely disgusted that anyone in this country would not meet any other person with the same warmth and friendliness. I am even more disgusted that anything like this should happen in our district."

Liberal Democrat Councillor Fran Oborski said: "We have to be aware - we are a very multicultural community and we should be proud of it and we have prospered because we are a multicultural community.

"If all our migrant workers left the NHS in Worcestershire, we would be in real trouble. If you go into hospital, the migrant you are most likely to meet - it not going to be the guy or woman in the bed next to you, it is going to be the nurse, or the doctor, or the radiotherapist, who is trained in treating you and we have to make sure people realise that.

"We have to make it absolutely clear that there is no place, at all, for racism in this country or in this district."

Wyre Forest Labour group leader, Councillor Nigel Knowles, said: "We do need to challenge racist and worse attitudes with people who might say things in the street and it is difficult to challenge people sometimes.

"But if people are spouting racism and worse, we have got to challenge them and we have got to report them - it is a duty really, you cannot let it fester."

Cllr Hart added: "I am pleased that councillors from across the political divide are united to send a strong message to our communities that this kind of behaviour must not be tolerated."