LONDON (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - Reported hate crimes against gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people in England and Wales have risen by 28 percent, according to figures released on Tuesday that activists said were a “wake-up call”.

Police recorded nearly 13,300 crimes in the year to the end of March, though rights group Stonewall said its research showed four in five incidents went unreported, with younger people particularly reluctant to go to the police.

“These statistics are a wake-up call,” said Laura Russell, policy head at Stonewall.

“While some may suggest this rise is due to increased confidence in reporting, we fear these represent the tip of the iceberg in hate crimes against LGBT people.”

The crime figures were released as Britain announced a review of hate crime legislation, which will look at how to make it more effective and whether it should encompass new categories such as misogyny. Read more via Reuters