Essex cops probe spate of ‘hate crimes’ against people with ginger hair

A STRING of hate crimes against people with ginger hair in Essex has prompted a police investigation.

Essex Police Inspector, Lee Argent told a meeting of members and the public in Thurrock that the force had received two complaints and abuse against people with ginger hair could be regarded as a hate crime.

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According to , a specialist hate crime officer who was also at the meeting, said: "Hate crime is often a matter of perception."

Hate crime is normally based on race or religion, disability, sexual orientation and transgender issues but hair colour is not currently listed as a category which comes under it.

An Essex Police spokeswoman said: "Any criminal offence which is perceived by the victim or any other person, to be motivated by hostility or prejudice based on a person's race or perceived race; religion or perceived religion; sexual orientation or perceived sexual orientation; disability or perceived disability and any crime motivated by hostility or prejudice against a person who is transgender or perceived to be transgender."
"Hair colour does not fall within this definition and as such is not seen by Essex Police as an aggravating factor when classifying an offence as a hate crime.
We are aware there are a small number of cases where hair colour has been mistakenly recorded as an aggravating factor. We are working with officers to ensure hate crime reports are recorded appropriately within the definition of hate crime."

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Simply Red singer, Mick Hucknall, has spoken out in the past about the issue and has compared abusing people with ginger hair to racism.

He wrote on Twitter: "Let's play a game: whenever you read ginger try replacing it with black or Asian and see how it reads."

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The revelation was made at the Annual General Meeting of the Thurrock Independent Advisory Group where members of the public of the public discussing how policing can be improved in their communities.

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