Unacceptable and won t be tolerated. That s the message from key agencies in Southampton as reports of racial hate crime increase across the county. As the nation reels from the racist abuse suffered by three of England s footballers, analysis of the latest figures reveals how racial hate crime increased in Hampshire in the four years before the coronavirus pandemic. Home Office data reveals a record number of race hate crimes were recorded by police forces in England and Wales in 2019-20 – the latest available figures. Hampshire Constabulary recorded 1,804 crimes during the period – an increase of 45% compared to 2015-16, when 1,244 incidents were reported.