HATE crimes against transgender people jumped by a third last year as LGBT groups warned that recorded cases are the ‘tip of the iceberg’.

Police forces in England and Wales recorded 1,651 crimes motivated by the transgender identity of the victim, with campaigners describing the figures as a ‘wake-up call’.

It comes as home secretary Sajid Javid (below) promised a review of legislation which could see the definition of hate crime extended to cover ageism and misogyny.

Laura Russell, of campaign group Stonewall, said: ‘There is still a major issue with four in five anti-LGBT hate crimes and incidents going unreported.

‘Currently, crimes based on sexual orientation, gender identity and disability are not treated equally to those based on race and faith. This has to change.’

Alex Mayes, of Victim Support, said the figures were ‘startling’ but reflected a greater awareness around hate crime and an improved police response.

Hate crime overall has reached an all-time high, according to the Home Office figures, rising 17 per cent to 94,098 last year. Racism remains the biggest factor, accounting for 71,251 reports, with 11,638 offences triggered by sexual orientation.

There was also a 30 per cent rise in offences against people with disabilities, and a 40 per cent increase in religiously motivated crime. Some of the rises were attributed to more victims coming forward, the Brexit vote and terror attacks.

Findings from the separate Crime Survey for England and Wales, which tracks victims’ experiences, suggested a drop of 40 per cent in hate incidents in the past decade.