Ayrshire hate crime victims have a new space to open up about their experiences after a charity teamed up with police in the area.

Around 30 Barnardo's staff from Kilwinning, Ayr and Kilmarnock received training from officers in how to deal with different hate crime topics as well as third-party reporting.

Many victims do not feel comfortable talking about the subject with the police and so Barnardo's allows them to come in and talk in a more comfortable environment.

Constable Scott Murray said: "I would like to thank the Barnardo's staff who participated in today's event at the Nethermains Community Centre.

"Police Scotland is committed to tackling all forms of hate crime and working with our partners and communities to keep our communities safe.

"This training will increase the number of reporting centres that are in place across Ayrshire and further highlight that hate crime is not acceptable and will not be tolerated."

Hate crimes can be reported by calling 101 or 999 in emergency situations.