VIOLENT homophobic crimes in Merseyside are on the increase, according to new figures.

Merseyside Police recorded 65 violent homophobic crimes between January and October, up from 51 last year and 57 in 2012.

Hundreds of assaults on gay and lesbian people in the UK have been reported to police so far in 2014 - including more than 300 in London alone.

Gay rights charities said that while it was "encouraging" more people were reporting hate crime, many victims felt "silenced" by abuse on the street.

Figures released to the Press Association under the Freedom of Information Act revealed 19 police forces recorded more violence against the person offences, which were classed as homophobic or motivated by a person's sexuality, between January and October than the whole of last year.

Chief Superintendent Rowley Moore said: "We know hate crime, including homophobic hate crime, goes hugely unreported and it’s very encouraging to see that there is a growing confidence among the gay and lesbian communities to tell us about such incidents.

"Merseyside Police is one of just a few forces to have a dedicated investigation team, which we call SIGMA.

"This ensures that anyone who reports any hate crime is supported by one of our specially trained officers and they can be confident that it will be given the highest priority.

"In August this year the Police and Crime Commissioner launched a new partnership with a national charity, Stop Hate UK.

"This means that if someone doesn’t want to speak to the police, they can get support and the charity will act as a liaison if required.

"They can be contacted by either calling 0800 138 1625 or by visiting their website at www.stophateuk.org

"We also have a number of third party reporting centres across Merseyside, such as fire stations, citizen advice bureaus and hospitals.

"This gives gay, lesbian and transgender people access to someone independent if they feel more comfortable discussing their issues with someone outside the police.

"All forms of hate crime are a force priority and we will continue to work hard to make sure people don't suffer in silence and have the confidence to report it.

"I'd also like to take this opportunity to reassure every community that we serve across Merseyside that we do take this crime extremely seriously and that it will be dealt with sensitively and, when necessary, robustly."