More racially or religiously aggravated crimes were reported to the police in Lancashire last year, new figures have revealed.

The aggravated offences, most commonly referred to as hate crimes, increased by nine per cent in 2021 compared to 2020.

Last year, 1,442 incidents of racially or religiously aggravated crimes were reported to Lancashire Constabulary while in 2020, 1,322 reports were made.

The figures are from police-recorded crime data for England and Wales published by the Home Office, and cover five types of offences; racially or religiously aggravated assault with injury; racially or religiously aggravated assault without injury; racially or religiously aggravated harassment; racially or religiously aggravated criminal damage; and racially or religiously aggravated public fear, alarm or distress.

Of the 44 forces in England and Wales, 39 reported a rise in racially and religiously aggravated offences from 2020 to 2021, while 34 forces saw numbers last year reach a new high.

A spokesperson for Lancashire Police said: “Everyone in our county should be allowed to live their lives free from harassment and the fear of hate crime.

“Hate crime causes great distress to its victims and we are committed to investigating all crimes and incidents motivated by hate, supporting victims and bringing offenders to justice.

“A hate crime is a criminal offence which is thought by the victim, or anybody else, to have been committed against a person because of their age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage or civil partnership, pregnancy or maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, or sexual orientation.

“A hate incident is behaviour which is thought by the victim, or anybody else, to be motivated by hostility or prejudice based on someone’s age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage or civil partnership, pregnancy or maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, or sexual orientation.

“A hate incident is behaviour which is thought by the victim, or anybody else, to be motivated by hostility or prejudice based on someone’s race, religion, gender identity, sexual orientation, alternative subculture or disability.”

If you have witnessed or been a victim of hate crime you make a report on the online reporting portal or via True Vision’s website, by visiting a third-party reporting centre, calling 101 or in an emergency call 999.

You can also call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111