‘ABSURD STATS ARE A RISK’

BICYCLE thefts and shoplifting have all been classified as race hate crimes by Scotland Yard.

The number of hate crimes in general recorded in England and Wales has leapt from 39,000 in 2013 to 105,000 last year.

The College of Policing says an incident should be classed a hate crime if the victim believes they were targeted due to their identity. The Met recorded 247 shoplifting cases and seven bike thefts as race hate crimes last year.

Tory MP Sir Christopher Chope called it ‘absurd’, as over-use of the term risks diminishing efforts to tackle genuine hate crimes.