HATE crime rose in York in the months leading up to the Brexit vote, according to data from a survey of human rights in the city.

In 2013/14, police recorded 98 hate crimes in York. That rose to 108 in 2014/15 - then to 140 this year.

More than 90 of these were racially motivated, according to the first-ever York Human Rights baseline report, produced by the Centre for Applied Human Rights (CAHR) at the University of York.

Heidi Chan, the centre’s coordinator, said it wasn’t clear whether the spike was down to a real increase in hate crime, or improved reporting. “But we know it is under-reported,” she said.

The figures for hate crime in York were gathered before the Brexit vote. Another spike occurred afterwards, Ms Chan said - though it is not thought to have been as high in York as elsewhere.

The York Human Rights indicator project began more than a year ago, with the aim of sparking debate about the best way of measuring human rights in the city. York is hoping to be designated the UK’s first ‘human rights city’ next year.

A team from CAHR consulted people in York about what were their key human rights priorities. They identified five ‘indicators’: education; standard of living; housing; health and social care; equality and freedom from discrimination.

Findings in the York Human Rights Indicator Baseline report, which will be launched at King’s Manor on Thursday, include a gap in attainment in York schools between children from disadvantaged backgrounds and the rest, and that monthly median earnings in York of £495 lag behind the national average of £529.60. There is a huge gap in life expectancy between York’s poorest and wealthiest wards.