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Labour has urged the Government to launch a fresh crackdown on hate crime after 2016 saw a surge in offences.

Critics blamed the Brexit referendum for a spike in race and religion-fuelled attacks following June's Leave vote.

But Shadow Solicitor General Nick Thomas-Symonds wants all hate offences, including those motivated by a victim's sexuality or disability, to be treated as seriously as crimes based on skin colour and faith.

The latest Government consultation exercise closes on January 9 – and Mr Thomas-Symonds believes it would be “the ideal time for the government to ... put in place a system to start treating the protected characteristics equally”.

Writing exclusively for Mirror.co.uk, he said: “As the tide of hate rises, we need to look again at the law to provide justice for victims and punishment for the culprits.

(Image: PA)

“At times 2016 has felt like a hateful year.

“Even though the vast, overwhelming majority of British people are warm and welcoming of difference, we have seen an appalling explosion this year in attacks on people because of the colour of their skin, their beliefs, a disability and a host of other reasons.

“The Government has to do more to make sure the courts are tough enough to tackle these hate crimes."

He pointed to the brutal murder of Labour MP Jo Cox a week before the referendum as “the most heartbreaking of these attacks”.

Her killer, right-wing extremist Thomas Mair, was jailed for life last month.

“A woman full of love for all, tragically torn away from her family in a targeted attack by a violent extremist," said Mr Thomas-Symonds.

“The story of Jo - and her family - continues to unite and inspire people across our country to do more to show that we all have far more in common than divides us.

(Image: Jo Cox Foundation/PA)

“Yet sadly, we have seen those forces of hate rise across the world, with the growing threat of violent far-right political groups and terrorist attacks, like those in Nice, Orlando, and, more recently, Berlin.”

He cited figures showing police recorded 62,518 hate crimes in Britain last year, with prosecutions up by 5% to 15,442.

But he feared courts, prosecutors and ministers were soft on offences fuelled by sexual orientation and disabilities, compared with their attitude to racial and religious crimes.

Mr Thomas-Symonds added: “We need to send a loud and clear message that whatever form of hate people have been subjected to, the law is there to protect them.

“A major problem at the moment is that the law does not treat all forms of hate crime in the same way.

“The ‘aggravated offences’ regime that carries tougher sentences does not apply in the same way to crimes based on the five 'protected characteristics'.

“Hostility based on transgender identity, sexual orientation and disability needs to be treated in the same way as hostility based on race or religion.”