A gay man has received a brutal beating because of his sexuality. But, according to gay and lesbian leaders, such attacks happen every two or three weeks and most go unreported.

Sussex Police and the Lesbian and Gay Community Safety Forum are urging victims to come forward to help them tackle the problem. Rebecca Drought reports.

Ricardo Saroyan-James was kicked unconscious because he is gay.

His attacker told him so.

The vicious assault has left him with a broken nose, chipped teeth and needing 26 stitches to cuts on his head.

But for Paul Martin, leader of the Brighton-based group Diversity Alliance, which has campaigned to end homophobic bullying, the saddest thing about the incident was that he was not surprised by what happened.

He said: "It is shocking that someone can go up to another person and for no reason, not even following an argument, kick them to the ground. But this kind of attack happens every two or three weeks and so is no longer surprising.

"These attackers are members of someone's family, they are someone's work colleagues, drinking friends. They are not aliens who came down from outer space, attacked and went away again and they need to be challenged, even when they tell a homo-phobic joke in the pub.

"Although the lesbian and gay community is working hard to try and stop homophobia, until the community at large takes on board that it is wrong nothing is going to change."

Last October, the Terrence Higgins Trust launched an anti-homo-phobia campaign in Brighton and Hove called It's Prejudice That's Queer.

Billboard adverts, bus posters and leaflets en-dorsed by famous people like footballer Ian Wright were used to question homophobic views. The campaign was aimed at young men and backed up by workshops for teachers and youth workers.

Mr Martin said: "Research and experience has shown that people's views on lesbians and gay men are formed in primary school and that's where we need to be working on targeting and challenging attitudes."

But the situation is little improved.

A third of gay people have experienced harassment while one in three gay men and one in four lesbians has experienced violence.

The Lesbian and Gay Community Safety Forum is currently running a campaign, to encourage people to report homophobic attacks to the police.

Responses to its Count Me In questionnaire, on perceived safety within the community, are still flooding in. The picture is one of a community which feels homophobic abuse and even violence is part of life as a lesbian or gay man.

After a vicious assault when two gay men were attacked with a spanner in April, Phil Carvosso, a financial adviser and active member of the Gay Business Association, threatened to set up a vigilante group called the Pink Berets to patrol the streets and protect the gay and lesbian community.

Brighton and Hove councillor Paul Elgood said: "It was an appalling attack on Mr Saroyan-James and extremely concerning. It was unprovoked and there seemed no reason for it but to cause harm to another person, which is unacceptable in any community."

He said that he had worked hard to encourage more initiatives from Sussex Police but this attack showed still more needs to be done.

"The gay and lesbian community in St James's Street village is loud and proud which is a good thing but there needs to be more visible policing in the area to protect people."

Sussex Police have been working with the lesbian and gay community in Brighton and Hove in an attempt to break down the perceived barriers which prevent gays and lesbians coming to them for help.

Earlier this week it was announced that, despite Home Office guidelines which mean an assault on a lesbian or gay man would only be recorded as an assault without any reference to the motive, Sussex Police are to begin recording homophobic incidents separately.

They have introduced anonymous reporting forms which officers hope will serve a dual purpose of protecting the victim's identity but letting police know that a crime has taken place.

Superintendent Andy Bliss said: "The resulting data from victims will enable us to target offenders."

Police must have the consent of the victim before they can record a crime as homophobic.

James Leward, chair of the Brighton and Hove Lesbian and Gay Community Safety Forum, has welcomed this move but has warned that a change in people's attitudes towards the police will take time.

"People are just beginning to become more confident about reporting attacks but many people are uncomfortable going to the police. It is a two-way thing and people have to report crimes for the police to be able to do something about them."

Victims of homophobia can contact the Gay and Lesbian Switchboard anonymously on 01273 204050.