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Merseyside Police has arrested a man following a hate crime assault in Tranmere this weekend.
At around 1am on Sunday 1 May, police received a report that a man had been assaulted outside the Prenton Park pub on Borough Road.
It was reported that the victim was struck to the face with a glass by an unknown man.
It was further reported that the suspect made off on foot and ran into a bus stop, injuring himself.
Officers attended and arrested 23-year-old man from Oxton on suspicion of Section 18 Assault.
He was taken into custody and is being questioned by police.
The victim attended hospital for serious but non-life-threatening injuries to his face.
Police are treating this incident as a hate crime, as the victim believes the assault was motivated by his gender identity.
CCTV, forensic and witness enquiries are being carried out and anyone with any information is asked to contact police.
Detective Inspector John Holden said, “This was an utterly appalling, unprovoked attack, which police are treating as a hate crime.
“It is completely abhorrent to think that someone could be subject to such physical abuse simply because of their gender identity. Merseyside Police stands against hate crime perpetrated against LGBT+ people and we simply will not tolerate people being targeted in this way.
“Although we have made one arrest, our enquiries remain ongoing. If you were in the Tranmere area on Saturday night or the early hours of Sunday morning then please let us know as information you hold could be vital to our enquiries.
“Similarly if you were driving along Borough Road and have dashcam footage, please review it and get in touch if you see anything. Whether you let us know directly or anonymously, through Crimestoppers, please get in touch and we can take action.
“I would also take this opportunity to urge any victim of hate crime on Merseyside to please come forward. We have a dedicated team of hate crime co-ordinators who will make sure you will be supported at every step as sensitively as possible.”
Anyone with information on this incident is asked to contact Merseyside Police social media desk via Twitter @MerseyPolice or Facebook Merseyside Police Contact Centre with reference 22000297123.
You can also call 101 or contact the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously, on 0800 555 111 or via their online form at: https://crimestoppers-uk.org/give-information/give-information
If, for any reason, you do not wish to report a hate crime to the police, the independent charity Stop Hate UK to run a 24/7 confidential helpline for all victims of hate crime on 0800 138 1625 or www.stophateuk.org You can also download the Stop Hate UK reporting app on Google Play or the Apple App Store.
Across Merseyside, we also have a number of third party reporting centres including fire stations, citizens advice bureaus and hospitals.
Dedicated support for victims of hate crime is also available through the Victim Care Merseyside service delivered by Citizens Advice. They can be contacted at lgbthatecrime@caliverpool.org.uk or by calling 0151 522 1400 ext. 5006.
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