02 June 2015

Islamophobic hate crimes soar by more than 50% in year

The number of hate crimes against Muslims reported to the Metropolitan Police has more than doubled in the last year.

According to Freedom of Information requests collated by Trinity Mirror's data team, the number of hate crimes - recorded by the police force in London as either Islamophobic or that mention Muslim or Islam - was 80 in January 2015, up from 36 in January 2014 and 22 in January 2013.

Across west London boroughs, the figures were 25 in 2015, 13 in 2014 and seven in 2013.

The rise may be part of a general upward trend or better recording, as more police forces add an Islamophobic flag to their system. However, the increase may also be a spike in incidents following the Charlie Hebdo attacks in early January this year.

Hate crimes that have been flagged as involving an element of faith, religious hate or Islamophobia in the capital rose by nearly a third in a year, from 886 incidents in January 2014 to 1,170 in January 2015. [GetWestLondon] Read more