Hate crime

Information about hate crime and how to report it.

Last updated: 2 September 2026

Next review: 3 July 2027

Understand hate crimes and incidents

A hate crime or hate incident is when someone is targeted or treated unfairly because of who they are, or who someone believes them to be.

A hate crime is a criminal act where the behaviour is motivated by hostility or prejudice towards a person’s:

  • disability
  • race or ethnicity
  • religion or belief
  • sexual orientation
  • transgender identity

This can include a range of behaviours, such as:

  • physical assault
  • verbal abuse or insults
  • threats or intimidation
  • harassment (including online)
  • damage to property

A hate incident may not be a criminal offence but can still be very harmful. These can include:

  • being talked down to or treated as if you are less capable
  • being ignored, excluded or avoided
  • being stared at or made to feel uncomfortable
  • rude or disrespectful behaviour linked to who you are

Even low-level incidents can have a serious impact and may escalate if not addressed. If you experience or witness any form of hate, it is important to report it so support can be provided and appropriate action taken.

No Space for Hate in Waltham Forest

Creating a borough where there is no space for hate requires more than responding to incidents after they occur, it also means identifying and addressing concerns before they escalate. 

To support this proactive approach, we have established a Tensions Monitoring Group (TMG), which brings together partners to monitor emerging community tensions, share intelligence, assess risks, and coordinate timely responses. By identifying issues early and working collaboratively with communities, the group helps maintain community cohesion and ensures that residents continue to feel safe, supported, and welcome.

To find out more information regarding the TMG, including how to join, email: Nospaceforhate@walthamforest.gov.uk

No Space for Hate allyship training

The Community Cohesion and Resilience Team now delivers allyship training as part of the No Space for Hate programme.

The session aims to empower members of the community to recognise how to spot bullying, harassment, or hostility and provide the tools to safely diffuse these situations and support those affected.

The next group of Allyship training sessions will be held online on:

  • Wednesday, 15 July 2026
  • Wednesday, 19 August 2026
  • Wednesday, 14 October 2026
  • Wednesday, 27 January 2027

Over 1200 residents and students within Waltham Forest have taken part in this training since the programme began.

For more information, to register for a future session, or if you have any questions, email the Nospaceforhate team.

Report a hate crime or incident

Whether you’re a victim, witness, or are reporting for someone else, it’s important to report hate incidents and crimes. By reporting it you become part of a movement to stop it.

Reporting incidents of perceived prejudice that aren’t criminal offences will help to build an understanding of what is happening in the local area, which helps the Police, Council and partners to understand patterns of behaviour, informing how institutions can tackle it in future.

Report the incident to the police

  • In an emergency, always contact 999. You can also call 101 in a non-emergency
  • Visit the True Vision website to make a police report

Report the incident to the Council through Stop Hate UK

You can speak confidentially to Stop Hate UK 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to report a hate crime or incident:

  • Call Stop Hate UK free on 0800 138 1625
  • Text ‘Stop Hate UK’ to 07717 989 025
  • Report online using the Stop Hate UK website
  • Relay for those with a hearing impairment 18001 0800 138 1625
  • Report in BSL using InterpreterNow (username: stophate and password: stophate)

Stop Hate UK also provides confidential help to people who have experienced or been victims of hate to access support. Nobody should suffer alone. Stop Hate UK has over 25 years of experience helping victims.

Stop hate online

We know that lots of local groups are hosting community events on Zoom. There are things that organisers can do to ensure that the meeting is not interrupted by bad actors. Here are ten tips on how to make your calls as secure as possible.

10 Ways to secure your zoom from hate (written version)

  1. Use a unique ID for large or public Zoom calls: When you schedule a Zoom meeting, look for the Meeting ID options and choose ‘Generate Automatically.’ Doing so plugs one of the biggest gaps bad actors can exploit
  2. Require a meeting password: You can give the password out only to those who have replied and seem credible. To password-protect a meeting, start by scheduling a meeting and checking the box next to ‘require meeting password’.
  3. Create a waiting room: When participants log into the call, they see a Waiting Room screen
  4. Only the Hosts Should Share Their Screen: Make sure your settings indicate that the only people allowed to share their screens are hosts. You can enable this setting in advance as well as during a call.
  5. Create an Invite-Only Meeting: Only people who can join the call are those you invited, and they must sign in using the same email address you used to invite them
  6. Lock a Meeting Once it Starts: While the meeting is running, navigate to the bottom of the screen and click Manage Participants. The Participants panel will open. At the bottom, choose More > Lock Meeting
  7. Kick Someone Out or Put Them on Hold: During the call, go to the participants' pane on the right. Hover over the name of the person you want to boot out and when options appear, choose remove’
  8. Disable Someone’s Camera: If someone is being rude or inappropriate on video, the host can open the Participants panel and click on the video camera icon next to the person’s name
  9. Prevent Animated Gifs and Other Files in the Chat: In the chat area of a Zoom meeting, participants can share files, including images and animated GIFs – if you let them
  10. Disable Private Chat: Open Settings in the Zoom web app (it’s not in the desktop app). On the left side, go to Personal > Settings. Then click in Meeting (Basic). Scroll until you see Privacy chat. When the button is grey, it’s disabled.

Community safety organisations

Our community safety webpages provide more information on other community safety issues in Waltham Forest, and details of the services that are available to help combat these.

There are several local and national organisations that support residents, ensuring they access the services they need to recover from hate incidents. 

CATCH

Catch is a partnership of charities in London that provides free, confidential support to adults (18+) who have experienced hate based on race, religion, disability, or LGBT + identity.  The service is independent from the police and offers specialist advice and practical support, delivered by organisations rooted in the communities they serve.  

Website: Catch

British Muslim Trust

Phone: 0808 172 3524
Email: report@britishmuslim 

Community Security Trust

Community Security Trust (CST) is the charity that protects British Jews from terrorism and antisemitism.

Phone: 0800 032 3263 (24 hour)

East London Out Project

ELOP is a holistic centre, broadly focusing on promoting mental health and well-being of lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans (LGBT) communities 

Address: 56-60 Grove Road, Walthamstow, E17 9BN
Phone: 020 8509 3898
Website: East London Out Project

Islamophobia Response Unit (IRU)

Phone: 020 3904 6555
Email: info@theiru.org.uk
Website: The Islamophobia Response Unit

Stay Safe East

Address: Resource Centre (South), 90 Crownfield Road, Leytonstone E15 2BG
Phone: 020 8519 7241
Website: Stay Safe East 

Stop Hate UK

Assists in accessing community support.

Phone:  0800 138 1625 (freephone)
Website: Stop Hate UK

Traveller Movement

The Traveller Movement is the lead national GRT‑led organisation providing hate‑crime advocacy, casework, reporting support and community rights advice. They support residents across all London boroughs, including Waltham Forest.

Address: 40 Jeffreys Road, Stockwell, London SW4 6QX
Phone: 020 7607 2002
Email: Info@travellermovement.org.uk
Website: The Traveller Movement
Support page: Hate Crime

True Vision

TRUE VISION: True Vision has been developed so that you can report hate crimes online - you do not have to visit a police station to report.

Website True Vision team

Citizens Assembly recommendations

Over the course of five days in February and March 2020, a representative 45-member panel considered how we can work together to ensure everyone feels equally welcome and safe in Waltham Forest through a Citizens Assembly. A Citizens Assembly is a way of bringing residents closer to the decisions we make so they have more of a say over them.

Find out about the Citizens’ Assembly

If you would like to learn more about the Citizens Assembly:

It is through the No Space for Hate programme that the Council is bringing the recommendations to life.