Racially or religiously-aggravated offences recorded by Greater Manchester Police increased by more than a third over 12 months, new figures reveal. And the statistics show nationally, offences hit a fresh high in 2021, with reaction to England's defeat to Italy in the final of the Euros football championship said to have contributed to the rise.
Police made a number of arrests in the weeks following the final, after abusive posts on social media targeted England players Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho and Bukayo Saka, all of whom missed penalties.
One football fan who live-streamed himself on Facebook racially abusing the players was later handed a 10-week prison sentence, while another received a six-week sentence for racially abusing Rashford on Twitter.
