Hate crimes have soared in Essex in the last year – with eight offences recorded every day.

Figures released by the Home Office have revealed that there were 3,055 hate crimes recorded across Essex in 2018/19.

That is up by 39 per cent from 2,197 the year before.

The Home Office said the increase was partly due to improvements in the recording of hate crimes by the police, but also admitted that events such as the EU referendum had played a role in the spike.

One of the most recent incidents being investigated as a hate crime was the assault of a 17-year-old Muslim boy who was attacked with a knife on September 9 in Harlow because of his religion.

The assault followed a confrontation between the victim and a group of five to seven men and boys who are thought to be in their late teens to early 20s.

Police said the suspects all had their faces covered and were wearing hooded tops.

Between September 2018 and August 2019, Essex Police saw a total of 153 hate crimes reported that were as a result of the victim’s religious beliefs.

This ranged from Islamophobia to anti-Semitism, to hate crimes against Christians, Hindus and Sikhs.

Essex Police have also released CCTV images of two men they would like to talk to in connection with a hate crime in Chelmsford involving a transgender woman.

The incident, which happened on August 19, left the victim “alarmed and distressed” by comments made to her as she walked off Sandford Road in  the city.

The increase has been seen across all kinds of hate crime, which is being raised by Essex via a series of initiatives through National Hate Crime Awareness Week.

Race remained the most common motivating factor, with 2,048 racially motivated crimes in 2018/19, up 33 per cent from 1,537 just a year before.

It is a factor in two out of three hate crimes.

Crimes against disabled people saw the sharpest percentage increase, up by 79 per cent from 243 in 2017/18 to 380 in 2018/19.

Hate crimes based on a victim’s religion soared, up 59 per cent from 140 to 222.

There were also 380 hate crimes based on a person’s sexual orientation (up 58 per cent from 240) and 89 hate crimes against transgender people (up 16 per cent from 77).

The sum of types of hate crime is greater than the total number of crimes, as a single crime might have more than one motivating factor.

The Home Office report on the figures said: “While increases in hate crime over the last five years have been mainly driven by improvements in crime recording by the police, there has been spikes in hate crime following certain events such as the EU Referendum and the terrorist attacks in 2017.”

Laura Russell, Stonewall’s director of campaigns, policy and research, said: “As worrying statistics like this demonstrate, lesbian, gay, bi and trans people still face hatred simply because of who they are.

“While it is possible that the increase is due to higher confidence in reporting, these figures are still likely to only represent the tip of the iceberg when it comes to hate crimes against LGBT people.

“From our research into hate crime, we know that four in five anti-LGBT hate crimes go unreported, with younger people particularly reluctant to go to the police.”

She said the charity had been concerned about the impact debates on LGBT-inclusive education and trans equality in the media, online and in the streets would have on the community for a long time.

“The significant rise in hate crimes against trans people shows the consequences of a society where transphobia is everywhere,” she added.

“We are still not living in a society where every LGBT person is free to be themselves and live without fear of discrimination and abuse.

“Stonewall would encourage anyone who’s experienced a hate crime to report it, and we’re working with police services to help LGBT people feel more confident to do so.

“We also need consistency across sentencing, ensuring that anti-LGBT offences are treated as seriously as other hate crimes.

“But we all have a part to play in making our society more accepting. Now more than ever, it is time for everyone who cares about equality to stand together as one united community to ensure everyone is free to be themselves.”

Rebecca Hilsenrath, chief executive of the Equality and Human Rights Commission, said: “No one should be attacked or harassed because of their race, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity or beliefs.

“As time goes on these figures should be halving not doubling.

“Hate crime legislation must keep pace with changes in society and technology so that perpetrators of these vicious crimes can be brought to justice.”