RURAL West Devon doesn?t spring to mind as a hotbed of racial hate and homophobia. It?s not a mecca for minorities. Yet isolation and fear borne of ignorant prejudice can lurk as easily in a provincial street or quiet hamlet as it does in an inner city.

Step forward PC Mark Hoar. In an effort to combat ?hate crime? and support its victims, West Devon and the South Hams?s new diversity officer is relishing his latest policing role.

?I?ve been in the police nearly 20 years now and this is the single most interesting and enjoyable job I have had,? said Mark.

?The people I meet are really positive and enthusiastic about the work we are doing and I honestly think for some sectors of society we can make a difference and make people?s lives happier.?

First and foremost, Mark?s job is to provide support for people from minority groups who have been the victim of what the police term hate crime. Black people, lesbian, gay and bisexual people, people with disabilities, people with mental health issues ? all are considered minority groups who can be subjected to inappropriate behaviour from certain sections of society.

?People tend to think it?s just dealing with black and gay people, but it?s not, it?s anyone from a minority group who has been targetted because of their status,? said Mark.

He said it was a commonly held belief that rural places like West Devon had no need of a diversity officer because of the few ethnic minorities in the area.

?There was a report written a few years ago called ?Rural Racism ? no problem here?. Actually the reverse is true,? said Mark.

?People in these groups can have very little confidence in reporting crime. Certainly, one of my key objectives is to ensure that people do have confidence to report crimes and understand that it will be taken seriously, that offenders will be dealt with and not just with a smack on the wrist.?

Mark did not believe overt racism was a big problem in the borough ? but he said inadvertent racism and homophobia, often stemming from a lack of knowledge, was an issue. Alcohol can often be a trigger.

?It loosens the tongue,? he said. ?People in the take-away trade are subjected to verbal abuse every Friday and Saturday night. Unfortunately they seem to shrug their shoulders and say it comes with the job, but it doesn?t have to and it should be stopped.

?It?s not part of their job description, to be abused because of skin colour. They might not consider it a problem, but I do. If they chucked someone out of a restaurant the night before, it should be reported, because the bigger picture might show this man has been thrown out of six or seven restaurants for the same thing, but we don?t know about it.?

Another vital part of Mark?s job is visiting schools and educating children about stereotypes, prejudice and discrimination.

?The key is to help children understand that we do live in a multi-cultural society and if you accept people at face value, you?ll get a lot more out of life and relationships. You have to teach them not to form opinions of people just on what they look or sound like,? said Mark.

Educating the public, whether they are youngsters or adults, about perceptions or stereotypical images of minority groups was also vital.

?I know a gay couple who are always being asked which one of them mends the car and which one does the washing up. They reply that they?re just two blokes who share the chores ? and send the car to the garage because neither of them can mend it. People have these perceptions,? he said.

The police force itself has been pilloried for racism and homophobia within the service, but Mark said a big sea change had occurred in recent times.

He said: ?The strides we have made in the last five years have been absolutely unbelievable ? the ethos is unrecognisable from ten years ago and locally, the police are undoubtedly leading the way on diversity issues.?

Mark works in close partnership with other organisations, and said his work was a great example of the success to be had using a co-operative approach.

He is keen to be as approachable as possible and sees good communication as vital.

?If people are not confident about reporting something to a uniformed officer, they can talk to me any time on the phone and be confident it will be taken seriously.

?I am aware there is a lot of under-reporting of minor incidents that go on and I am sure that what is reported is just the tip of the iceberg,? said Mark.

l PC Mark Hoar is based at Tavistock Police Station. He can be contacted at any time on 07736 731955.