DISABLED people are suffering in silence over abuse and bigotry directed towards them, campaigners in Cumbria claim.

Police figures show hate crime in the county went up by ten per cent last year.

But those championing the rights of disabled residents say the scale of the issue is under-reported because victims are fearful of speaking out.

Margaret Burrow, MBE, chief executive of Barrow Disability Association, said the issue was one that needed to be tackled.

"For some reason, people think it's alright to abuse a disabled person.

"It's not right. You would think these days everyone would be more educated about disability."

Mrs Burrow added: "Unfortunately, the issue is greatly under reported.

"Some people are so accustomed to the abuse that they have become conditioned to it.

"The rest don't come forward because they are frightened of reprisals."

Both Barrow Disability Association and Disability Association Carlisle and Eden are hate crime reporting centres for Cumbria.

"We know it's out there," added Kieron Park, independent disability living advisor at DACE.

"It's happening in Cumbria. But people don't report it.

"These crimes are recorded but they don't seem to be addressed otherwise, and people don't see the point in becoming a statistic."

National disability charity Leonard Cheshire states three in ten people in the UK have experienced hostility towards them because of their disability.

A further 31 per cent said fear over the issue had prevented them from going outside.

Chief executive officer Neil Heslop said: "Hate crime can be totally devastating for disabled people and rob them of their confidence.

"Some survivors have been left so traumatised they remain trapped in their homes out of fear."

In Cumbria, police recorded 354 hate crimes in the year leading to August 2017 - 33 more than during the previous 12 months.

Detective Sergeant Wayne Dixon, Hate Crime Manager said: “Reporting a hate crime directly to the police can feel like a daunting process for some.

"I would like to reassure anyone who believes that they are a victim of a hate crime that we will take all reports extremely seriously and will investigate all reports thoroughly.

“Reports of hate crime have risen in the last 12 months and although we recognise that this type of crime is an issue, we are also constantly working to ensure all victims feel confident to report an incident to police.

“ Surveys nationally have shown that these types of incidents are regularly unreported so we are continuing to work hard with partners and in local communities to build trust and confidence.

“We go into schools and work with partner agencies to build knowledge of what a hate crime is and how we can assist, so the people on the receiving end are aware and have the confidence to come forward.”

Crimes against disabled people - The facts

- A poll by Leonard Cheshire Disability found 30 per cent of disabled people have been the subject of hate crime.

- Around 31 per cent said fear of abuse in the street stopped them from going out.

- Just 73 per cent reported incidents to police