Two men have been jailed for life for the horrific killing of barman Jody Dobrowski on Clapham Common in south London in October 2005. It comes as a grim reminder to an increasingly confident gay community that the threat of homophobic violence remains one they cannot afford to ignore.

Mr Dobrowski, 24, was killed on Clapham Common
The 24-year-old, originally from Gloucestershire, was targeted at the well-known gay "cruising" spot for no other reason than his sexuality.

The attack was shocking in its violence, leaving Jody's body so badly battered he had to be identified by his fingerprints.

Jody's killing was one of 1,306 homophobic crimes reported to police in London last year - and one of a string of attacks on Clapham Common.

In September 2005 a gay man survived after being garrotted with a piece of wire by an attacker on the common. Two weeks later another man was beaten unconscious.

Five months after Jody's murder yet another violent attack in the same area left a gay man with severe facial injuries and a broken leg.

The problem is by no means confined to the capital.

In July 2005 a 52-year-old man suffered facial injuries after he was kicked to the ground in Southampton.

In December a gay priest, the Most Reverend Dr Barry Rathbone, was attacked with a metal baseball bat in a Bournemouth park. His attacker was later jailed for two years.

There has also been a series of violent attacks in Londonderry.

But these incidents were probably just the tip of the iceberg, say both the police and gay campaigners.

As many lesbians and gay men feel more comfortable about their sexuality, their increased visibility makes them vulnerable to being targeted by gay-bashing gangs

Peter Tatchell
While being homosexual no longer attracts the sort of stigma it did 20 years ago, lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people are still frequently the victims of hate crime, be it gay-bashings in public places or abuse in their homes by relatives or colleagues.

Gay human rights campaigner Peter Tatchell says: "As many lesbians and gay men feel more comfortable about their sexuality, their increased visibility makes them vulnerable to being targeted by gay-bashing gangs.

"Increasingly, gay and lesbian people want to be able to lead a free and relaxed life, without having to look over their shoulders in fear of homophobic abuse and attack. Sadly that isn't always possible."

Even in openly gay communities, such as Canal Street in Manchester, or Old Compton Street in London, attacks take place - sometimes by gangs who go there deliberately to seek out victims.

Holding hands 'inadvisable'

In some areas Mr Tatchell says the risk of attack means it is still not advisable to be openly gay.

"Many gay people are still fearful of their safety on some white working class council estates and in some sections of the black and Muslim communities there are pockets of extreme prejudice.

"This can make it quite unsafe for someone to be known to be lesbian or gay and extremely unsafe for them to hold hands with their partner or give them a kiss goodbye at the bus stop."

Mr Tatchell says the typical attacker is young, poorly educated and unemployed, with their motivation stemming either from their religious background or from insecurity and fear about their own sexuality.


Even gay "villages" like London's Soho are not safe
In some cases, however, gays and lesbians may be targeted simply because they are seen as easy victims.

Police say assaults are as likely to be carried out by opportunistic attackers as by gangs of organised homophobes.

In many cases the homophobic element appears incidental to attacks rather than the sole motivation behind the