Revealed: Spike in anti-Islam hate crime across London, with 25% more offences reported

Shocking figures published today have revealed a stark increase in the number of Islamaphobic hate crimes recorded across London in the last year.

A report revealed more than 17,000 race or religious-related crimes were reported to police in the financial year from 2016 to 2017.

The sharpest increase was recorded among anti-Islam crime, with almost 25 per cent more offences in the past year than in the previous one.

The report, published by the Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime, also noted a 4.5 per cent increase in anti-Semitic offences.

And there has been a spike in crimes relating to sexual orientation, with more than 12 per cent more committed against transgender people.

The troubling stats were made public a day after the Metropolitan Police and Transport for London launched a campaign to reduce anti-Muslim crime on London’s buses, trains and Tubes.

As part of the drive, more than 200 community events will be hosted to reassure and educate people across the city.

Officers will encourage reporting of hate crime in certain parts of east London, including routes to the East London Mosque – the biggest in the capital.

“We want to send a clear message, that you do not have to be afraid and that you can report incidents discreetly to the police,” Nozmul Hussain, chief executive of mosque Trust said.

"We will never tolerate those that seek to divide us through hatred and bigotry we will always stand united.”

"We must continue to encourage all those affected by hate crimes to speak out, and in doing so send a clear message that hate and prejudice can have absolutely no place in modern Britain,” added Mustafa Field, the director of the Faiths Forum for London group.

"Victims need to know that their voices will be heard and that they will receive both justice and the support they need.

“Perpetrators need to know that such offences will not be tolerated in our communities, and that they will be dealt with under the full force of the law."

Additional Home Office statistics revealed that, overall, hate crime soared by almost a third.

The rise was, in part, driven by a spike in offending after the Brexit vote and the Westminster terror attack earlier this year – which was shown by additional figures not included in the overall report.

Hate crime rose after each event, with the highest totals recorded after the London Bridge killings.

Home Office statisticians said that the rise in hate crime was partly due to better recording by police but was also driven by an actual rise in offending.

As the figures were published, Home Secretary Amber Rudd said there was “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: "This rise in hate crime is unacceptable, especially after a drop in police referrals has seen a fall in prosecutions.

"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."