Religious hate crime at record high after Israel-Hamas conflict

“The appalling levels of antisemitic and Islamophobic hate crimes outlined in today’s figures are a stain on our society, and this government will work tirelessly to tackle this toxic hatred wherever it is found,” said Home Secretary Yvette Cooper.

“We must not allow events unfolding in the Middle East to play out in increased hatred and tension here on our streets and those who push this poison – offline or online – must face the full force of the law,” she said.

The police numbers do show that there were decreases in recorded disability hate crimes (down 18%) and those targeting people for their sexual orientation (down 8%), and a 2% fall in transgender hate crimes.

But they also show that while there was a 5% fall in race hate crimes, 98,799 were still recorded over 12 months, and it remains by far the most common motivation in such offenses.

Hate crimes motivated by sexual orientation have fallen for the second year in a row to 22,839 reported incidents.

It means that these types of hate crime have fallen a total of 13% since March 2022 – which was the highest number on record.

The Home Office says these decreases have been driven by falls in malicious communications offences, as well as reports of incidents causing public fear, alarm or distress.

Simon Blake, CEO of LGBT campaigning charity Stonewall, told BBC News that hate crime reported to police “is only part of the picture”.

He said: “It’s vital that all those affected have access to support. The fight against hatred is shared, so we must work together to build a society where everyone is safe and respected and free from harm.”

Danielle St James, chief executive of trans charity Not A Phase, told the BBC that trans people are often reluctant to report hate crimes.

She said: “After many years in which hate crimes against trans people have soared, the news that these are down by 2% is certainly welcome.

“That being said, we know all too well that there is a reluctance to report these crimes on the part of the community, so it’s always worth taking stats such as these with a pinch of salt.”