Islamophobic attacks soared by 500 per cent in Manchester

Police have said that following the suicide bombing at an Ariana Grande concert in Manchester Islamophobic attacks have surged by 500 per cent. Official figures show that there were 224 reports of anti-Muslim hate crimes in the month following the attack compared with 37 in the same period the previous year. Officers have said they will take strong action to control the increase in hate-fuelled incidents which the Greater Manchester Police (GMP) revealed has increased by 505 per cent. The figures were disclosed as police increased protection for Muslim communities across Britain following the Finsbury Park mosque attack. Rob Potts, assistant chief constable of GMP, said: “Greater Manchester has a diverse population, with people from different faiths and backgrounds, and this is something that we are proud of. It’s what makes us the city we are. We will not tolerate hatred or discrimination of any kind. When a major tragedy occurs such as the attacks in Manchester and London, it is sadly not unusual for there to be a spike in the amount of hate crimes, specifically against race and religion, but thankfully they do decrease again quickly. “We continue to monitor the levels of hate crimes that are reported and it is essential that we remind people about the importance of reporting when a hate crime happens to you, or you see it happening. Hate crime is often under-reported for a number of reasons, but we want people to have the confidence in coming forward as no one should be the subject of hate and intolerance.”