A Liverpool fan has been charged with shouting homophobic slurs at Everton fans during a football match.
Sam Lomax is accused of the hate crime that happened at the Merseyside Derby, in Goodison, on Wednesday, December 1.
The 23-year-old, of Camp Road, Woolton, was arrested after police allegedly overheard him shouting offensive slurs towards Everton fans at the game.
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A spokesperson for Merseyside Police said: "We have charged a Liverpool fan with a Section 5A public order offence following a hate crime at the Merseyside Derby at Goodison on Wednesday 1 December 2021.
"Sam Lomax, 23, of Camp Road, Woolton, was arrested by police after he was overheard shouting a homophobic slur towards Everton fans during the game.
"Following a police investigation he was charged on Friday 28 January and will appear in court on Tuesday 1 March."
Anyone with information on hate crime on Merseyside is asked to contact Merseyside Police social media desk via Twitter @MerPolCC or Facebook Merseyside Police CC.
You can also call 101 or contact the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously, on 0800 555 111 or via their online form at: https://crimestoppers-uk.org/give-information/give-information.
If, for any reason, you do not wish to report a hate crime to the police, the independent charity Stop Hate UK to run a 24/7 confidential helpline for all victims of hate crime on 0800 138 1625 or www.stophateuk.org. You can also download the Stop Hate UK reporting app on Google Play or the Apple App Store.
Across Merseyside, there are also a number of third party reporting centres including fire stations, citizens advice bureaus and hospitals. A list of locations can be viewed here: merseyside-third-party-hate-crime-reporting-centres.pdf
Dedicated support for victims of hate crime is also available through the Victim Care Merseyside service delivered by Citizens Advice. They can be contacted at lgbthatecrime@caliverpool.org.uk or by calling 0151 522 1400 ext. 5006.
