3:57pm UK, Wednesday August 03, 2005

Faith hate crimes have soared by 600% in London since the July 7 bombings.

Alarming figures from Scotland Yard showed that there were 269 such attacks compared to just 40 in the same three-and-a-half-week period in 2004.

180 Muslims leave

Attacks on Muslims increased

In the three days following the London bombings, there were 68 religious hate crimes in the capital; there were none in the same period 12 months earlier.

The attacks included verbal and physical assaults and damage to property including mosques.

Scotland Yard Assistant Commissioner Tarique Ghaffur said: "There is no doubt that incidents impacting on the Muslim community have increased."

He said most of the incidents were low-level abuse or minor assaults but they had a great "emotional impact" on communities.

And he warned: "It can lead to these communities completely retreating and not engaging at a time when we want their engagement and support."

The figures came as Home Office Minister Hazel Blears began a tour of Muslim communities to discussing ways of improving relations with them.

Speaking in Oldham, Lancashire, she said that contrary to suggestions British Transport Police chief constable Ian Johnston, racial profiling was not the way to find suspects.