70 hate crimes in just two months in Shropshire

Figures released today show about 200 hate crimes were reported to West Mercia Police between May and July, ranging from harassment to sexual assault.

The figures, revealed through Freedom of Information requests, showed between May 23 to July 23, it recorded 219 crimes with a range of "aggravating factors" including racial, disability, sexual orientation or hate.

A total of 74 of those were reported in Shropshire and Telford, including two assaults with injury reported in Telford, and a third in Shrewsbury.

Figures from April 2015 to March 2016 show the police force, which also covers Herefordshire and Worcestershire, recorded more than 600 racially aggravated crimes, along with more than 500 aggravated by religion.

The force said combating this sort of incident is a main focus for officers.

Superintendent David McWilliam said: "Tackling hate crime is a priority for the force.

"We know that on a national level hate crime is underreported and we are committed to giving victims the confidence to come forward and make a report.

"Nobody should be victimised because of who they are and no victim of hate crime should suffer in silence. We will respond to all reports of hate crime."

Superintendent McWilliam added that a hate crime is classed as any criminal offence perceived by the victim or any other person to be motivated by a hostility or prejudice.

This can be based on a person's race, religion, sexual orientation, disability, transgender, or individual characteristic that makes someone appear different. Hate crimes reported over the two-month period included criminal damage to a vehicle, motivated by hate and sexual orientation discrimination, in Cartway, Bridgnorth.

Harassment was reported in Whitchurch motivated by racial factors and hate, as well as in Bridgnorth, Telford and Shrewsbury.

In Telford, a theft with racially aggravated factors was reported, along with causing public fear, distress or alarm in Shrewsbury, Market Drayton, Telford, Ludlow and Oswestry. Those incidents had seen aggravating factors include hate, disability, race and sexual orientation.

Police also recorded crimes of racially or religiously aggravated assault with and without injury around the force area, criminal damage and rape of a female aged 16 or over. In Telford, there was a report of a sexual assault on a female aged 13 or over, with police believing its aggravating factor was racial. A number of the reported cases led to no suspects identified, evidential difficulties, or sometimes the victim would not support police action.

Police also handed out cautions for some of the cases, found community resolutions, and in some cases a charge was brought to those involved.