UK police: Anti-Muslim crimes skyrocket in Manchester

Manchester police records more than 500 percent increase in Islamophobic crimes since May 22 concert attack.

Anti-Muslim hate crime in the British city of Manchester has skyrocketed by more than 500 percent following the May 22 concert suicide bombing in the city, according to local police.

The number of Islamophobic crimes recorded by the Greater Manchester Police between May 22, 2017 - the date of the deadly attack by Salman Abedi - and June 19, 2017 was 224, Anadolu Agency reported.

Manchester and London, it is sadly not unusual for there to be a spike in the amount of hate crimes, specifically against race and religion, but thankfully they do decrease again quickly."

Islamophobic attack

The latest figures follow a pledge of increased security for Muslim communities after Monday's Islamophobic terror attack in Finsbury Park, north London.

British Prime Minister Theresa May said on Wednesday that no matter what disagreements exist, "we can all at least welcome the focus in this Queen's Speech on stamping out extremist and hateful ideology of any kind, including Islamophobia".

May said Monday's Finsbury Park attack, where a van was driven into a group of Muslims leaving prayers, was "a terrorist attack" and described it as a "brutal and sickening reminder that terrorism, extremism, and hatred can take many forms".

London's Metropolitan Police on Thursday formally identified a 51-year-old father-of-six who died at the scene of Monday's attack as Makram Ali, originally from Bangladesh.