West Mercia police, which serves Shropshire, Worcestershire and Herefordshire, has teamed up with local community groups to set up the freephone facility.

People who want to report racist activity will be able to call a multi-lingual, 24-hour service.

The force was criticised for its handling of the deaths of two black men from Telford, who were found hanged within months of each other in 1999 and 2000.

The families of Errol and Jason McGowan claimed officers dismissed both men's complaints of racist abuse and death threats.

An inquest jury returned a verdict of suicide on Errol McGowan last year, but heard that he had suffered "horrific" levels of racial harassment by a gang of 10 to 15 white youths.

Telford and Wrekin coroner Michael Gwynne is scheduled to hold an inquest into Jason McGowan's death in April.

'Constant fear'

Introducing the new hotline, Detective Chief Superintendent Dermott McCann said: "The scheme is designed for people who, for whatever reason, do not wish to report their experiences direct to the police."

"It complements, but does not replace the existing methods of contacting ourselves or other agencies."