Cheshire hate crime rise sees more disabled people targeted

There were 420 disability hate crimes recorded in Cheshire

Hate crimes against disabled people in Cheshire rose by 22% last year, despite a fall nationally.

Data from a report to Cheshire and Chester West Council showed the number of hate crimes in Cheshire rose by 15%.

Police figures revealed 2,686 incidents were recorded during the 12 months up to September last year, of which 61% were classed as racial hate crimes.

A quarter of all hate crime victims had been targeted more than once, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

The council is currently updating its hate crime strategy following consultation with focus groups.

A report to the authority's scrutiny committee said its three priorities were to prevent hate crime, increase reporting and improve the response.

There were 420 disability hate crimes recorded, which represents a 22% increase, and almost a fifth of victims were aged under 15.

This is in contrast to the national figures, which fell by 9%.

'Divided communities'

The figures showed there were 499 hate crimes against people due to their sexual orientation and 77 transgender hate crimes.

There were 48 religion or belief hate crimes - 15% fewer than the previous year, the report said.

Anti-Muslim offences accounted for more than half of these offences, followed by a fifth that were anti-Semitic.

Councillor Bob Cernik, cabinet member for children and families, said hate crimes had a "devastating" impact on victims and "divided communities".

He said the report "provides the framework to enable us to deliver a hate crime action plan" that he hoped would "result in our borough being an even safer and happier place for everyone".