LANCASTER city council is planning a high profile launch for its new racial incident reporting line.

The line, the first of its type in the country, is intended to give race hate victims access to a wider range of support services.

Recorded racist incidents in the Lancaster and Morecambe area numbered 137 from April 2000 to March 2001.

Numbers have increased considerably since new definitions were introduced after the MacPherson report into the Stephen Lawrence murder.

Now, all crimes perceived by anyone involved to be racist are recorded as such.

The anti-racist message will also be hammered home at a series of events this summer.

Successful girl band Angelica, who joined councillors and officers to launch the campaign, will publicise the new hot-line when they play at the Bobbin on June 28.

Thousands of festival goers will also be hearing the campaign slogan 'Racism, hurts a few but affects us all' at events such as the Worldbeat Weekend on August 24 to 26.

The campaign will be completed with a massive celebration organised by the council's Young Promoters Group.

The council's community safety officer, Michelle Emery, said: "The racial incident reporting line is an important piece in the process of encouraging all people -- not just victims but witnesses too -- to report racist incidents.

"It is particularly pleasing that so many young people, such as the young promoters Group, and a band with a following as strong as Angelica's are giving their backing to the campaign."

The racial incident reporting hot-line is on 01524 67099.