Level of hate crime reaches a record high

Abdul Haque at a mosque on Villa Road in Oldham. It was subjected to an arson attack earlier this year – but then decorated by messages from well-wishers appalled by the attack THE Manchester bomb – along with the London Bridge attack and Brexit – fuelled the biggest annual rise in hate crime since records began, according to government research.

The number of hate crimes recorded by police in England and Wales has increased by 29 per cent since last year. Home Office data released today showed total hate crimes rose from 62,518 offences from 2015 to 2016, to 80,393 in the year since.

The report noted four spikes in racially or religiously aggravated offences in England and Wales in the last year – in June 2016 and March, May and June 2017.

These spikes coincided with Britain voting to leave the EU, the Westminster Bridge attack, the Manchester Arena bombing and the attacks at Borough Market and Finsbury Park Mosque in London.

However, as well as a ‘genuine rise’ in hate crime, improvements in police crime reporting are believed to have contributed to the increase.

The report says: “This analysis showed a spike in daily hate crime after the Greater Manchester attack on May 22. The level of offences decreased in the following days, but again increased with #WESTANDTOGETHER is our campaign for a more peaceful Greater Manchester.

We want to make sure every child in Greater Manchester is given the chance to learn about peace and how to solve problems without turning to violence; to encourage and celebrate acts of love and kindness and to help fight every kind of crime which is driven by hatred. We’re working with the Foundation for Peace and the London Bridge and Borough Market attacks.” The data, which the government began collecting in 2011/12, splits hate crime into five categories – offences motivated by race, religion, sexual orientation, disability or transgender identity. As a result, the Manchester bomb itself was not classified as a hate crime by the Home Office analysis. The report says: “Terrorist activity (such as the Manchester Arena attack), may be targeted against general British or Western values rather than one of the five specific strands, so while the attack may be identified as a hate crime, it would not be covered by this statistical collection.” Racially aggravated offences Greater Manchester Police - and we want community groups, businesses and YOU to join in too. were the most common to be documented by police, making up 78pc of last year’s hate crimes.

Home Secretary Amber Rudd said: “There is absolutely no place for hate crime in our society and this government is taking action to tackle it. No one in Britain should have to suffer violent prejudice, and indications that there was a genuine rise in the number of offences immediately following each of this year’s terror attacks is undoubtedly concerning.”

Shadow Home Secretary Diane Abbott said: “The Tories have made great claims about tackling burning injustices. But they are clearly not tackling the great injustice of being attacked simply because of your religion, your sexuality, the colour of your skin or your disability.”

The news comes weeks after the M.E.N. launched ‘We Stand Together’ – a campaign to make our city more harmonious.