The number of hate crime offences recorded by Kent Police has gone up.

Between July and September last year, the police logged 277 hate crime offences, an increase of 60%.

This comes as record levels of hate crime were reported across England and Wales since the EU referendum and Brexit.

According to the figures, gathered by the Press Association, only four forces reported a decrease on the previous three months.

Kent came seventh on the list of the biggest increases.

They also showed that a rise in incidents was recorded both year-on-year and when comparing the three months either side of the referendum.

A hate crime is defined as one which the victim, or anyone else, thinks is based on someone's prejudice towards them because of their race, religion, sexual orientation, disability or because they are transgender.

The charity Victim Support said they had witnessed an increase in the number of referrals after the decision to leave the European Union.

They also said the rise could be linked to the increased publicity about hate crimes, which might encourage more people to report offences or look for support.

But there are fears a further rise could be seen once Brexit negotiations get under way, with the The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHCR) saying police should be prepared for any potential spike in hate crime after the triggering of Article 50.

The Home Office said Britain had some of the strongest legislation on hate crime anywhere in the world.