Ealing Council sets out strategy to tackle rising hate crime

Key Points

• Recorded hate crime in Ealing rose by 11%, from 762 offences to 846, in the year to May 2026.
• Metropolitan Police data shows 1,608 hate crime offences were recorded in the borough between June 2024 and May 2026.
• Racist and religious hate crime accounted for 1,403 offences, or 87.3% of the two-year total.
• Racist hate offences increased from 603 to 643 in the latest year, while Islamophobic offences rose from 58 to 66.
• Antisemitic offences fell slightly, from 18 to 17, over the same annual period.
• Homophobic hate crimes increased from 85 to 116, while disability-related offences rose from 11 to 21 and transgender-related offences from seven to 13.
• Harassment accounted for 57.5% of recorded hate crimes, while around one in six offences involved physical assault.
• Ealing Broadway, Norwood Green, South Acton and North Acton together accounted for 29% of recorded offences over two years.
• Ealing’s recorded hate crime rate remains below the London average, despite the increase in offences.
• A 2025 council consultation found substantial concern about reporting, with many respondents citing fear, lack of confidence and previous negative experiences.
• Ealing Council’s Hate Crime Strategy 2026–2029 focuses on prevention, awareness, reporting, victim support and action against offenders.
• The strategy is due to go before Ealing Council’s cabinet on 7 October 2026 for approval.
• The council plans quarterly meetings involving faith groups, disability organisations, migrant communities, LGBTQ+ groups and youth organisations.

Extra London News (ELN) October 7, 2026 – Ealing Council is preparing to introduce a three-year strategy aimed at tackling hate crime after new figures showed recorded offences in the west London borough increased by 11% in the year to May 2026. Metropolitan Police figures cited in the council’s Hate Crime Strategy 2026–2029 show 846 offences were recorded during the latest 12-month period, compared with 762 in the previous year. The council’s proposed approach places emphasis on prevention, improved reporting, support for victims and witnesses, community engagement and enforcement against offenders.

The figures form part of a wider assessment of hate crime in Ealing, with 1,608 offences recorded during the two years from June 2024 to May 2026.

The strategy is scheduled to go before Ealing Council’s cabinet on Wednesday, 7 October, with councillors being asked to approve the plan covering the period from 2026 to 2029.

The council says the strategy is intended to respond not only to recorded offences but also to concerns about under-reporting. Its consultation evidence indicates that some residents who experience hate crime do not approach the police or other public authorities because of concerns about whether action will follow.

What does the latest Ealing hate crime data show?

The Metropolitan Police figures analysed by Ealing Council show that recorded hate crime increased from 762 offences in the year to May 2025 to 846 in the 12 months to May 2026.

Across the two-year period from June 2024 to May 2026, there were 1,608 recorded offences.

Racist and religious hate crime represented the largest part of the total. The council’s analysis records 1,403 such offences, equivalent to 87.3% of all hate crimes recorded during the two-year period.

There were 1,246 racist hate offences and 210 faith-related offences.

Among the faith-related offences, 124 were recorded as Islamophobic and 35 as antisemitic.

The annual figures also show different trends within these categories. Racist hate offences rose from 603 in the year to May 2025 to 643 in the following 12 months.

Islamophobic offences increased from 58 to 66, while antisemitic offences decreased slightly from 18 to 17.

These figures are based on recorded offences and therefore represent incidents reported to and recorded by police rather than the full number of incidents experienced by residents.

Which other forms of hate crime increased in Ealing?

The council’s analysis shows increases in several categories beyond racist and religious hate crime.

There were 201 homophobic hate crimes recorded over the two-year period. The annual figure increased from 85 offences to 116.

Disability-related hate crime also increased, from 11 recorded offences in the year to May 2025 to 21 in the latest 12-month period.

Transgender-related offences rose from seven to 13.

The figures demonstrate that the pattern of recorded hate crime in Ealing extends across several protected characteristics, although racist and religious offences account for the largest share of the overall total.

The council’s strategy consequently proposes engagement with a range of community groups rather than concentrating its approach on a single category of hate crime.

What types of incidents make up most recorded hate crime?

Harassment was the most common form of recorded hate crime in Ealing.

According to the council’s analysis, 57.5% of recorded hate crimes over the two-year period involved harassment. Racially or religiously aggravated harassment, alarm or distress was identified as the most common offence.

Around one in six recorded hate crimes involved some form of physical assault, with common assault making up most of those incidents.

The distinction is significant because the council’s proposed strategy is not limited to responding to serious physical offences. It also seeks to address harassment, prejudice and incidents that may affect residents’ sense of safety without necessarily resulting in serious physical injury.

Which parts of Ealing recorded the highest number of hate crimes?

Ealing Broadway, Norwood Green, South Acton and North Acton recorded the highest numbers of hate crime offences during the two-year period examined by the council.

Together, the four areas accounted for 29% of the borough’s total recorded hate crime.

The figures provide the council with a geographical picture of where recorded offences have been most concentrated, although they do not by themselves establish why particular areas recorded higher numbers.

The proposed strategy includes continued engagement with local communities and organisations to identify emerging concerns and respond to local patterns of offending.

Is Ealing’s hate crime rate higher than the London average?

Despite the rise in recorded offences, Ealing’s rate of recorded hate crime remains below the London average.

For the year from June 2025 to May 2026, the council’s report puts Ealing’s rate at 2.39 offences per 1,000 residents, compared with 2.97 per 1,000 residents across London.

In the preceding 12 months, Ealing’s rate was 1.97 offences per 1,000 residents, while the London rate was 2.54.

The comparison means that the increase in Ealing’s recorded offences has occurred alongside a rate that remains below the capital-wide figure.

However, the council also stresses that recorded data does not necessarily represent the full scale of hate crime because incidents can go unreported.

Why do some Ealing residents not report hate crime?

The council’s consultation work provides an indication of the barriers that can prevent people from reporting incidents.

A consultation conducted in 2025 received 576 responses. Of those respondents, 43% said they had personally experienced hate crime, while 49% said they knew someone who had experienced it.

Among respondents who said they had been victims, 42% reported experiencing more than three incidents.

Verbal abuse was reported by 87% of those respondents, while 19% reported physical assault and 15% reported damage to property.

The consultation also identified several reasons why people might choose not to report incidents.

These included a lack of confidence that action would be taken, fear that reporting could lead to escalation or retaliation, concerns about not being believed and previous negative experiences with public bodies.

A number of respondents said they would be more comfortable initially approaching community, faith or voluntary organisations rather than police or other public services.

The council notes that the consultation was voluntary and therefore may not represent the experiences of every community in Ealing.

What does Ealing’s new Hate Crime Strategy 2026–2029 propose?

The proposed strategy is built around four broad priorities: preventing hate crime and raising awareness, improving reporting and trust, supporting victims and witnesses, and taking action against offenders.

The council intends to use awareness campaigns to help residents recognise and respond to hate crime.

It also proposes working with schools to develop anti-hate crime resources, bringing prevention and awareness work into educational settings.

Another part of the strategy is to make reporting incidents easier and improve confidence in the reporting process.

The council’s approach recognises that improving reporting requires more than simply providing a reporting route. Its consultation found that confidence in authorities and concerns about possible consequences can influence whether victims come forward.

How will Ealing Council work with local communities?

The strategy proposes a more structured relationship between the council and community organisations.

Faith groups, disability organisations, migrant communities, LGBTQ+ groups and youth organisations would meet every quarter to discuss safety concerns and developments relating to hate crime.

The council also plans to provide communities with quarterly updates covering emerging hate crime issues and the action being taken in response.

The proposed arrangements are intended to provide a regular mechanism for community organisations to raise concerns and for the council to communicate information about its response.

They also reflect the consultation finding that some residents may be more comfortable approaching community-based organisations before contacting statutory services.

What has Councillor Jasbir Anand said about the strategy?

Councillor Jasbir Anand, Ealing Council cabinet member for tackling crime and antisocial behaviour and chair of the Safer Ealing Partnership, said enforcement alone would not be sufficient.

As stated in the council’s strategy materials, Anand said: “We know that enforcement alone is not enough.”

He added that reducing hate crime required building trust, improving confidence in reporting, supporting victims and witnesses, challenging prejudice and working with communities to prevent harm before it occurs.

The comments set out the council’s intended balance between enforcement and prevention.

The strategy therefore combines measures aimed at offenders with measures designed to address the conditions that can discourage victims from reporting incidents.

What happens next for Ealing’s hate crime strategy?

The proposed Hate Crime Strategy 2026–2029 is due to be considered by Ealing Council’s cabinet on 7 October 2026.

If approved, the strategy will provide the framework for the council’s work on hate crime over the next three years.

Its implementation will involve awareness activity, work with schools, improvements to reporting arrangements, support for victims and witnesses, community engagement and action against offenders.

The quarterly meetings with community organisations and quarterly updates on emerging issues are intended to create an ongoing process rather than a one-off consultation.

The effectiveness of the strategy will depend in part on whether residents who experience hate crime have greater confidence in reporting incidents and whether agencies can respond consistently to the concerns identified through the council’s consultation.

What is the background to Ealing’s hate crime strategy?

The new strategy follows an increase in recorded hate crime in the borough, with 846 offences recorded in the latest year compared with 762 in the preceding 12 months.

Over two years, 1,608 offences were recorded, with racist and religious hate crime making up the overwhelming majority.

The council’s consultation also highlighted the difference between recorded crime and residents’ experiences. A substantial proportion of respondents said they had personally experienced hate crime or knew someone who had, while several respondents identified barriers to reporting.

At the same time, Ealing’s recorded hate crime rate remained below the London average in both annual periods examined.

The strategy has therefore been developed against two parallel findings: recorded hate crime has increased, while the borough’s rate remains below the wider London rate and the council believes some incidents are not reported.

How could the strategy affect Ealing residents and community organisations?

The proposed strategy could give residents more opportunities to engage with the council and community organisations about hate crime and local safety concerns.

For victims and witnesses, efforts to improve reporting and support could make it easier to seek assistance. The planned involvement of faith groups, disability organisations, migrant communities, LGBTQ+ groups and youth organisations could also provide additional channels for raising concerns.

For community organisations, quarterly meetings and updates would create a formal opportunity to discuss emerging issues with the council.

The effect on residents will ultimately depend on how the measures are implemented and whether they address the barriers identified in the consultation, including concerns about confidence, retaliation and previous experiences with public authorities.