Northumbria Police is warning those who commit hate crimes that they will be tracked down and put before the courts.

The warning comes after a man was fined £250 for wearing a racially offensive t-shirt in public which displayed an anti-refugee image.

44-year-old Peter Hunt from Ashington pleaded guilty to racially aggravated section 5 public order after wearing the offensive t-shirt in Eldon Square in July 2016.

Last week it was revealed that the North East saw a rise in recorded hate crimes between July and September last year, following the Brexit vote.

Northumbria, Durham, Cleveland and North Yorkshire all reported an increase in hate crime offences between July and September 2016, compared with April and June 2016.

DCI Deborah Alderson, from the Safeguarding Department at Northumbria Police said:

The important thing to highlight about this case is that this type of behaviour will not be tolerated either by the community here or by Northumbria Police. Being you is not a crime but targeting you is. Targeting refugees in this manner is a hate crime which is never acceptable and offenders will be pursued and prosecuted. DCI Deborah Alderson

Northumbria Police say anyone who wants to speak to someone about being a victim of hate crime, or if they have witnessed a hate crime, can contact police on 101 or independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.