Hate crime spiked in West Midlands following Southport stabbing and Middle East conflict
Some of the largest police forces in the UK have seen a double spike in types of religious hate crime in the past 18 months - with West Midlands Police noticing a spike.
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A recent report from PA showed the national number of hate crimes in the UK jumping after the start of the Hamas-Israel conflict in autumn 2023 and again following the Southport attacks this summer, figures reveal.
Antisemitic offences recorded by forces including Greater Manchester, West Midlands and the Metropolitan Police, rose sharply in the weeks following the outbreak of hostilities in the Middle East in October last year.
The same forces then logged an increase in Islamophobic offences in the wake of the stabbings in Southport in July this year and the subsequent violent disorder in towns and cities.
The Express & Star took a dive into local figures for the West Midlands, which were obtained by PA using a Freedom of Information request.
Stats from West Midlands Police showed that antisemitic hate crimes had more than doubled between 2021/22 and 2023/24 from 27 crimes to 83.
Islamophobic incidents remained high with over 370 recorded crimes each year.
