Number Of Hate Crimes Soars 42% In A Year

More than 3,000 hate crimes were reported to police across the UK in the second half of June - a 42% rise compared with the same period last year.

The daily rate peaked at 289 alleged offences on 25 June - the day after the EU referendum result was announced.

Data published on Friday by the National Police Chiefs' Council give the most comprehensive insight into the nationwide picture so far.

Forces were asked to reveal weekly numbers after a series of reports sparked fears of a wave of xenophobic and racial abuse in the wake of the vote to leave the EU.

The first set of figures shows 3,076 hate crimes and incidents were reported to police between 16 and 30 June.

This was an increase of 915, or 42%, compared with the same period in June 2015.

A Polish family's shed was burned down and a note left telling the family to 

The NPCC said the main type of offence reported over the fortnight was "violence against the person", which includes harassment and common assault, as well as verbal abuse, spitting and "barging".

The second and third most common types of incidents were public order offences and criminal damage.

The NPCC said that since then there has been a marked decrease in reports, but weekly figures will continue to be collated to monitor the situation.

Assistant Chief Constable Mark Hamilton, NPCC lead for hate crime, said: "We now have a clear indication of the increases in the reporting of hate crime nationally and can see that there has been a sharp rise in recent weeks.

"This is unacceptable and it undermines the diversity and tolerance we should instead be celebrating.

"Forces have been monitoring and managing hate crime more robustly since the attacks in Paris in 2015. We believe that greater awareness and confidence in the police response has contributed to this increase in reporting."

Mr Hamilton added that police forces have heightened their response to hate crimes over the last 10 days.

The release of the figures comes as police said white powder and hate messages had been sent to three mosques in London.

The Metropolitan Police were called to mosques and Islamic centres in Tottenham, Leyton and Finsbury Park on Thursday after concerns about the mystery packets.

They were among a handful of similar deliveries across the city which sparked security alerts and led to parts of the parliamentary estate to be closed when peer Lord Ahmed, a Muslim, was among the recipients.

A Scotland Yard spokesman said: "There were exactly the same circumstances at all three mosques. Officers were stood down when it was discovered the powder was not noxious.

"The investigation is being conducted by the north-east London counter-terrorism unit."