A MOTHER whose teenage daughter was killed just for dressing likes a Goth has marked what would have been her 28th birthday by speaking at a hate-crime conference.

Sylvia Lancaster OBE has spoken at the world’s first Alternative Solutions to Hate Crime conference, which was organised by the Sophie Lancaster Foundation.

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The charity was set up in memory of 20-year-old Sophie, who was beaten to death in Stubbylee Park, Bacup, in 2007 merely because she and her boyfriend were dressed in dark Gothic clothing.

At the conference yesterday, a host of international delegates and speakers including Greater Manchester Police’s assistant chief constable Garry Shewan and solicitor Carl Gaffney spoke on the issue.

Sylvia, whose OBE was awarded for Community Cohesion, Especially Reduction In Hate Crime, said: ‘It was so exciting. The conference was a lovely way to mark what would have been Sophie’s birthday.

‘Obviously, we focussed on alternative hate crime but the message we wanted was to raise the level of awareness of all hate crime and I think we achieved that.’.

The event was also used to officially launch the foundation’s primary school resources, a project which was made possible because of funding from the Lancashire Telegraph.

Children read poems about the effects of bullying and videos were shown of them using the new resources.

Since April this year, 611 hate crimes have been reported to Lancashire Police.

A spokesman for the force said although he was not able to provide figures for the same period in 2013, the number of reported crimes remained consistent.

Clive Grunshaw, Lancashire’s Police and Crime Commissioner, sanctioned the funding of more than £4,000 to enable yesterday’s conference at Burnley Mechanics to take place.

He told delegates: ‘I am satisfied Lancashire Constabulary’s response to hate crime is a robust one which strives to go above and beyond what is expected.

‘But there is no complacency and the force is constantly striving to improve.

“That is what I expect.

‘Ultimately, victims of hate crime are just that ‘“ victims.

“And that is why vulnerability is one of the key things which Lancashire Constabulary focuses on. In Lancashire we strive for all victims to receive the service they need and assessing vulnerability is a priority for achieving this.’