A GLASGOW man who was attacked on a bus because of his learning disability is fronting a major charity campaign to raise aware-ness about the hate crime.

New figures show hundreds of people with disabilities were the victims of abuse last year with 154 charges made in Scotland. However, charity leaders say disability-related crime is significantly under-reported and the real figures are much higher.

Peter McMahon, 44, who is from Easterhouse, is fronting a poster campaign in the city's Queen Street Station as part of a campaign by Enable Scotland. The image, captured by the Evening Times, shows Peter standing proud against the hate crime bullies

He said: "You get bottles of water thrown at you. I had an occasion with three girls - they made fun of me.

"The bus was full and nobody came to my defence.

"One of them pushed me up against the window and was shouting at me. They called me all the loonies, mongols and spastics of the day, saying I had a face like an alien.

"I am frightened to stand up to them in case they have a knife or something.

"It made me feel like I didn't want to do anything for weeks and I shut myself in."

Crown Office statistics show reported incidents of disability hate crime in Scotland are on the increase.

Peter Scott, CEO at Enable Scotland, said: "Sadly, most people who have learning disabilities will experience bullying. We must work harder to tackle the root causes of disability-related hate crime and to change attitudes."

The charity is working with Strathclyde University to design a new resource for schools to use to educate children and promote understanding of difference.

caroline.wilson@eveningtimes.co.uk