Recorded hate crime across Ealing rose by 11% in the year to May 2026, with 846 offences in the borough reported to police, new figures have revealed.

The Metropolitan Police numbers, up from 762 offences in the previous 12 months, are published in Ealing Council’s new Hate Crime Strategy 2026–2029, which sets out its plans to tackle hate crime in the borough.

The strategy goes before Ealing Council’s cabinet on Wednesday (7 October 2026), with councillors being asked to approve the three-year plan which focuses on preventing hate crime and raising awareness, improving reporting and trust, supporting victims and witnesses, and taking action against offenders.

Measures include awareness campaigns, work with schools on anti-hate crime resources and making it easier for people to report incidents.

The strategy comes as the council’s analysis of Metropolitan Police data shows 1,608 hate crime offences were recorded across Ealing in the two years from June 2024 to May 2026.

Racist and religious hate crime accounted for the overwhelming majority, with 1,403 offences – 87.3% of the total.

The figures include 1,246 racist hate offences and 210 faith-related offences. Of the latter, 124 were recorded as Islamophobic and 35 as antisemitic.

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 fell slightly from 18 to 17.

There were also 201 homophobic hate crimes over the two years, with the annual number rising from 85 to 116.

Disability-related hate crime increased from 11 to 21 offences in the latest year, while transgender-related offences rose from seven to 13.

More than half of all recorded hate crimes – 57.5% – involved harassment, with racially or religiously aggravated harassment, alarm or distress the most common offence.

Around one in six involved some form of physical assault, mostly common assault.

Ealing Broadway, Norwood Green, South Acton and North Acton recorded the highest numbers of hate crime offences, together accounting for 29% of the borough total over the two years.

Despite the increase, Ealing Council says the rate of recorded hate crime in the borough remains below the London average.

In the year from June 2025 to May 2026, the report shows Ealing’s rate at 2.39 offences per 1,000 residents, compared with 2.97 across London. In the previous 12 months, Ealing’s rate was 1.97 per 1,000, compared with 2.54 across the capital.

The council also says many hate crime incidents go unreported.

A council consultation carried out in 2025 received 576 responses. Of those who took part, 43% said they had personally experienced hate crime and 49% knew someone who had.

Among those who said they had been victims, 42% had experienced more than three incidents. Verbal abuse was reported by 87%, physical assault by 19% and damage to property by 15%.

Reasons given for not reporting hate crime included a lack of confidence that action would be taken, fear of escalation or retaliation, concerns about not being believed and previous negative experiences with public bodies.

Many of those taking part said they would feel more comfortable speaking to community, faith and voluntary organisations before approaching the police or other public services.

In its report, the council says the consultation was voluntary and may not reflect the experiences of every community in the borough.

Councillor Jasbir Anand, Ealing Council cabinet member for tackling crime and antisocial behaviour and chair of the Safer Ealing Partnership, said: “We know that enforcement alone is not enough. Reducing hate crime requires us to build trust, improve confidence in reporting, support victims and witnesses, challenge prejudice and work with communities to prevent harm before it occurs.”

Under the strategy, faith groups, disability organisations, migrant communities, LGBTQ+ groups and youth organisations would meet quarterly to discuss safety and concerns about hate crime.

The council also plans to provide quarterly updates to communities on emerging hate crime issues and action being taken.