A unit set up to help victims of hate crimes in Brighton and Hove has been given a temporary reprieve.

The police Anti Victimisation Unit was set up last year to tackle the crisis of confidence felt in marginalised communities.

But last month workers were told the unit would be scaled down after the Government pulled the plug on funding.

At the time, Sussex Police said an estimated £100,000 was needed to keep the civilian staff for an extra six months.

But the unit, based in the John Street police station, has now been given funding from the police, Brighton and Hove City Council and the Safer Communities Fund and Partnership Development Fund.

The cash, just under £100,000, will keep the AVU going until January 2003 and save the jobs of five out of seven civilian workers.

A meeting attended by city chiefs was held this week to look at future ways to fund the project and a fresh review will be held in January.

Council leader Ken Bodfish said: "We will continue to identify further funding streams which will secure the delivery of its work at least over the life of the current Community Safety and Crime Reduction Strategy to 2005."

Last year the unit was set up with £1.2 million of Home Office funding.

Eleven dedicated police officers work at the unit, concentrating on tackling homophobic attacks, race hate crimes and domestic violence.

Chief superintendent Doug Rattray said: "This project has made great inroads into improving the trust and confidence of the community in policing. We are committed to continue the good work."

Brighton and Hove councillor Paul Elgood said the unit was a "landmark project" which had made a difference to many people's lives.