Many people may not know within every Met division is a unit devoted to hate crimes. Bexley's unit is the best in the capital. LINDA PIPER finds out more.

IT IS not that there are so many hate crimes such as domestic violence, rape or racial attacks in Bexley which makes the borough top of the Met.

It is because Bexley's public protection unit is so good at bringing the offenders to justice.

The unit, based at Bexleyheath police station, is headed by Inspector Peter Thomas and has four sergeants and 23 detective and uniformed constables.

It is divided into sections, each dealing with different aspects of hate crime, and also handles missing persons cases.

The community safety unit deals with domestic violence, homophobic, religious and race hate crimes, stalking, abuse of the elderly and honour-based violence.

Domestic violence takes up 85 per cent of its work and it charges or cautions around 50 people a month.

PC Maxine Hudd said: "Many victims are still reluctant to go through the courts, especially women who are dependent on their partner for things such as an income or housing."

That is where the crisis intervention team, which involves the police and Bexley Council, steps in, offering support and practical help.

People can call 0800 731 7860 if they are suffering domestic violence.

Mr Thomas says if an incident is serious enough, police will pursue a crime without a victim making a complaint, in consultation with the Crown Prosecution Service.

The community safety unit also deals with honour-based violence.

Det Con Kam Sodhi said: "Recently, we have had quite a few families whose children were born in the UK and who want to lead a western life. But their parents are traditional.

"The children have been abused but they don't want to leave their families."

Mr Thomas said more training was needed to help police staff recognise the problem He said: "Det Con Sodhi has received calls from distraught teenagers who have arrived at the police station to see someone, and staff have just called their parents to pick them up."

The community safety unit also investigates allegations of mental and physical abuse of the elderly or theft of their property by people supposed to be caring for them And it deals with around 20 race crimes a month.

Det Con Kevin Thompson said: "A lot of it is low level anti-social behaviour, which starts with something else and race eventually comes into it."

The Sapphire unit deals with rape and serious sexual assaults.

It has the highest detection rate in the Met this year.

The unit also deals with historical allegations and a number of cases arise from domestic violence incidents.

The missing persons unit deals with hundreds of cases a year, but in the past two years only two cases have not been resolved.

PC Colin Humberstone, who runs the unit, said: "You get the asylum seeker who claims to be a child, then disappears from the foster home back into their cultural community.

"Then you get the parent who has not heard from their adult child for some time and reports them missing."

The unit deals with around four high-risk cases a month involving a vulnerable adult or young child.

When people are found, they have a follow-up interview to find out the cause of their disappearance.

Mr Thomas says the public protection unit is staffed by a young and enthusiastic team.

He said: "Most people will not need its help, but if they do, they will be getting the services of the best unit in the Met."