Hate crimes soar to hit record levels in wake of Brexit vote

Record levels of hate crime were recorded by three-quarters of police forces in England and Wales after last year's EU referendum, new analysis has shown.

Yorkshire’s biggest force, West Yorkshire, was one of three nationally to record more than 1,000 hate crimes in the three months ending in September.

And it was among 33 of 44 forces to record its highest quarterly hate crimes total since comparable records began in April 2012.

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Neighbouring South Yorkshire Police was the only one of the region’s four forces to see its figures fall, although even that was a marginal one per cent decline.

For charities working with victims, the figures confirm their own experience of soaring demand in the aftermath of what many view as a highly divisive campaign by some politicians.

Mike Ainsworth, of Leeds-based national charity Stop Hate UK, told The Yorkshire Post: “It was something that gave licence to people who held racist views that it was somehow acceptable. To me, it was a lack of moral leadership and the way the Leave campaign conducted themselves.

“Had the campaign been conducted in a different manner, I don’t think we would have seen that explosion in hate crime.”

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He said the charity had seen a 61 per cent increase people accessing its helpline and services in the month following the vote, but demand had relaxed from the peak levels of last summer.

The Equality and Human Rights Commission echoed Mr Ainsworth’s concern that a small number of people had used the Brexit vote to legitimise racism.

Its chairman, David Isaac, said it “must be sensible to prepare for any possible spikes” in hate crime once Brexit negotiations began.

The figures show West Yorkshire recorded 1,013 incidents in the three-month period compared to South Yorkshire at 225, Humberside at 140 and North Yorkshire at 64.

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Only the Metropolitan Police and Greater Manchester recorded more incidents at 3,356 and 1,033.

But Mr Ainsworth said the forces which saw a marked increase had been among the most active in telling communities that hate crimes would not be ignored.

Community meetings were held in Leeds after a racially aggravated public order incident involving a Polish shopkeeper in Bramley last July. Two people were charged and are awaiting trial.

And West Yorkshire Police worked closely with the county’s police and crime commissioner on a campaign to encourage reporting of all forms of hate crime.

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Assistant Chief Constable Angela Williams said: “Wherever there is evidence of a crime we will seek to prosecute and even if what has happened is not a crime, people need to come forward in order they can receive the appropriate support. Behaviour of this nature has no place in our society.”

The Home Office added that Britain had some of the strongest legislation on hate crime anywhere in the world.

“The Home Secretary has been crystal clear that crime motivated by hostility and prejudice towards any group in society has no place whatsoever in a Britain that works for everyone,” a spokesman said.