THE number of homophobic attacks in Wiltshire has increased by almost a third in the last five years.

And Phoenix Stewart, the community engagement and inclusion manager for Swindon and Wiltshire Pride, encouraged all victims to come forward and report them to the police.

A Freedom of Information request submitted to Wiltshire Police by the Adver revealed the number of crimes increased by 29 per cent, from 51 in 2015 to 66 in 2020.

The peak of attacks came in 2018, with 94 crimes committed representing a 74 per cent increase on 2017.

But between 2019 to 2020 the number of incidents fell by 12 per cent – bucking the trend seen across the UK as a whole, where there has been a 20 per cent rise in reports of homophobic hate crimes to police in the past year.

Phoenix said: “Seeing that there has been a 20 per cent rise in reports of hate crimes is extremely worrying.

“We’d like to think we are moving forward as a society and becoming more accepting by embracing one another’s differences.”

In Swindon, the picture has remained more constant, with only one more attack in 2020 compared with 2015.

But the town also saw a peak in 2018 with 38 attacks recorded – and numbers only just returning to 2016 levels this year.

Phoenix added: “I know from conversations with the community that not all hate crimes are reported.

“People can often feel anxious, worried, feel like nothing will be done or it’s not a big deal.

“But it matters. There is no place for hate in the world, it’s not something we should accept and needs to be challenged every single time.”

A hate crime is a criminal offence that is motivated by “hostility or prejudice” towards someone because of factors such as their race, religion or their sexual orientation.

“Reporting a hate crime doesn’t just help you, but it also helps others in the community,” added Phoenix.

“It helps build a more accurate picture of the hate crimes the LGBTQ+ community face on a daily basis, and by someone committing a hate crime they are breaking the law and this law needs to be enforced.”

To report a hate crime phone101 – or 999 if you are in immediate danger – or visit www.wiltshire.police.uk/Report_a_crime