RACIAL and homophobic-motivated hate crimes in Warrington more than doubled over the past four years.

The number of racist incidents reported increased from 118 to 240 between 2015-16 and 2018-19, while homophobic-motivated crime soared from 14 cases to 66 during the same period.

But police and the council say the rise is because more people feel confident in reporting the problem.

Figures collected by Cheshire Police – revealed to the Warrington Guardian under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 – show the spike in hate crime, an increase that intensified most markedly since Britain voted to leave the European Union in 2016.

Louise Cherrington, chief inspector at Cheshire Police, said: “The rise in reporting of hate crime can in some way be attributed to the work we have done with our partners to increase reporting of hate crime which has historically been underreported.

“We have done a lot as a force over the years to provide ways for people to report hate crime as we understand it is imperative that victims have the confidence to speak out if they have been subjected to one, including giving access to a wide range of voluntary organisations and service user groups who provide a third party reporting service for victims and witnesses.

“We also have trained staff who we can arrange for you to speak to if it would make you feel more comfortable, for instance LGBT staff.”

The increase in homophobic hate crime was the most significant, with a rise of almost four times the amount in 2015-16.

Racially-motivated incidents more than doubled during the four-year period, with the 240 reported cases this year representing an average of two just every three days.

The figures over the past four years are part of a broader trend of increases over the past decade, with the combined number of reported incidents rising from 54 in 2009-10 to 306 during the last year.

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Tony Higgins, Labour councillor and cabinet minister for leisure and communities, said: “Any rise in the figures is always a concern, and I am concerned about these figures.

“We need to look at this in a more measured way.

“One of the reasons for the rise is that people feel safer and more able to come and complain about these crimes – there is an open door for people to raise these concerns.

“Warrington is no different to any other town or city of its size, and these figures do reflect the atmosphere in the UK.

“In Warrington we are doing more to work with LGBT and ethnic communities through supporting campaigns, communities and initiatives.”

And both the LGBT and anti-racist communities have also spoken out about Warrington’s statistics, calling for greater action to combat the worrying pattern.

A spokesperson at Stonewall – a prominent group who campaign for LGBT equality – said: “These worrying statistics are a wake-up call.

“It’s 2019 – lesbian, gay, bi and trans people should feel safe and no one should face hatred simply because of who they are.

“Sadly, the reality is very different – while some people may suggest this spike is due to increased confidence in reporting, we fear these figures represent just the tip of the iceberg of a rise in hate crimes against LGBT people.

“From our research into hate crime, we know that four in five anti-LGBT hate crimes go unreported, with younger people particularly reluctant to go to the police.”

Meanwhile, the HOPE not hate campaign, set up in 2004 to help tackle racial hate crime across the UK, has also condemned the figures.

"We as a nation are more divided than ever - industries and employers have collapsed in some of our most vulnerable communities, and the economic pessimism which has flooded in has been driving hostile attitudes towards minorities,” a spokesperson said.

“The Brexit debacle has simply thrown fuel onto this fire, accelerating an angry, ugly anti-politics mood which is further poisoning our communities.

"It’s vital that our political leaders recognise the issues that are dividing our neighbourhoods, and recognise the presence of groups who target the most vulnerable in order to incite violence.”