THE number of hate crimes reported in Cheshire increased significantly in the year to March, new figures show.

Hate crimes are defined as those motivated by a prejudice or hostility towards a personal characteristic – such as race, religion, sexual orientation or gender.

Numbers across England and Wales have risen every year since records began in 2012, in part due to improvements in how police record hate crime.

The latest Home Office figures show 2,574 hate crimes were recorded by Cheshire Constabulary in the year to March – a 25 per cent increase from 2,052 the year before.

As across the rest of England and Wales, the highest proportion of these crimes were racially-motivated, with 1,575 such offences recorded last year.

The 109,843 race hate crimes recorded nationally in 2021 marked the first time a single category has topped 100,000 over a year.

Offences motivated by transgender identity saw the largest increase across the two nations.

There were 4,355 such offences in 2021-22 – of which 92 were recorded in Cheshire – a 56 per cent increase on 2,799 the year before.

Diana Fawcett, chief executive at the charity Victim Support, said: “No one should have to endure abuse and discrimination for simply being themselves.

"Hate crime is a very personal offence which can shatter victims’ confidence and self-worth, making them feel unsafe and threatened – so any rise is seriously worrying."

Cheshire Constabulary also recorded 569 offences on the basis of sexual orientation, 41 religious hate crimes and 384 against people with disabilities.

Crimes can be tagged with more than one category, so the overall number of offences may be lower than the sum of the reasons given.

Ms Fawcett cautioned that increased numbers may be the product of better police awareness and incident-logging.

"Our own data actually shows levels of hate crime have remained fairly stable, slightly falling over the past year," she added.

A Home Office spokesperson said: “Hate crime is a scourge on communities across the country. It does not reflect the values of modern Britain.

“While the rise in cases is likely to be largely driven by improvements in police recording, these can be serious crimes such as assault and we cannot be complacent.

"We expect the police to fully investigate these hateful attacks and make sure the cowards who commit them feel the full force of the law.”