Councillors' concerns after rise in hate crime reports in the borough

A hate crime is being reported almost every day in South Tyneside, according to police data.

- by Chris Binding

Northumbria Police data presented to councillors in the borough show that 334 hate crimes-which include racially and religiously motivated offences-were reported over the last 12 months-marking a 2.4% increase on the previous year's total of 326.

Concerns about the increase were raised at the Riverside Community Area Forum (CAF) meeting, which covers South Tyneside's Beacon and Bents, West Park, Simonside and Rekendyke and Westoe wards.

Aelfwynn Sampson, Northumbria Police's chief superintendent for South Tyneside, said the increase "tracks a national trend" and while the data was not broken down by specific types of hate crime, councillors were told the biggest increase was in race-related offences".