THE number of hate crimes reported across Wiltshire has almost doubled over the last four years.

Police received 269 reports in 2013, compared to 530 last year, newly-released figures show.

The sharp rise was revealed as a Swindon woman accused of racially abusing a Polish man over a garden fence became the focus of a unique High Court test case yesterday.

Jane Elizabeth Distill, 34, was visiting her grandmother in Meadowcroft when she allegedly made the remarks.

Next door neighbour Manek Nykiel was watering his flowers in July last year when he said he smelt cigarette smoke over the fence.

Before hearing a door bang, he claimed he recognised Miss Distill’s voice as she said, “Polish ******* bastards, **** off!”.

Mr Nykiel complained, but Miss Distill was cleared of a racially aggravated public order offence by Chippenham magistrates in January.

The Director of Public Prosecutions, Alison Saunders, is now challenging that decision at London’s High Court.

The case hinges on whether Miss Distill’s grandmother’s garden was part of her private ‘dwelling house.’

The magistrates found that it was and that Miss Distill therefore could not be guilty of the public order offence.

But Miss Saunders’ case is that a dwelling is defined by law as “any structure, or part of a structure, occupied as a person’s home”, which does not include a garden.

Her argument is contested by Miss Distill with judges in the case due to give their decision at a later date.

Darren Gunn, 46, of High Street, Purton, also appeared at Swindon Magistrates' Court on Friday and admitted racially/religiously aggravated harassment, as well as using threatening, abusive, insulting words or behaviour to cause harassment, alarm or distress.

On March 20, Gunn entered Spice Express, in Purton, and began to question a member of staff about the food served and his ethnicity. He then threw a packet of ham at the member of staff.

Gunn was told to leave the restaurant but continued to verbally abuse the man.

He was given an eight-week prison sentence suspended for two years and was ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £115, pay costs to the Crown Prosecution Service of £85 and compensation of £100. He must also complete a six-month alcohol dependency course.

PCSO Andrea Hector said: “We will not tolerate verbal abuse of any kind in our communities and will seek to arrest and charge anyone acting in a racially or religiously aggravated manner so they can be brought before the courts.

“Behaviour of this nature can cause fear, upset and distress.

“We’d like to reassure the local community that we will take action following any reports of hate crimes – do not suffer in silence.”

The increase in reported hate crimes in Wiltshire is part of a national rise that has been linked by the National Police Chiefs’ Council to the Brexit vote, terror attacks and more people reporting incidents.

The figures released by Wiltshire Police under the Freedom Of Information Act show a steep increase over the four-year period, though other forces have recorded far greater rises.

They include disability, racial, religious, sexual orientation and transgender crimes.

Swindon has been home to efforts to foster a more tolerant society, including through Refugee Week, which ends on Sunday.

Angus Macpherson, the Police And Crime Commissioner for Wiltshire And Swindon, said: “One of the priorities in my new Police And Crime Plan is to protect the most vulnerable people in society because they are at the greatest risk of becoming victims of crime.

“A number of police officers and PCSOs have volunteered to become hate crime advisors on top of their normal duties and they are being trained to support families and individuals who become victims of hate crimes.”

Supt Adrian Burt said: “The increase in reported hate crimes to Wiltshire Police is due to a number of factors.

“The way we record these crimes has improved giving more of an accurate picture; also, from the feedback we receive, people who are victims of these crimes have more confidence in the police now, knowing that if they report such a crime it will be dealt with thoroughly by specially trained staff who will give advice and support to the victims involved.

“In fact, we are training more staff to deal with these types of cases to also help witnesses as well as helping in investigations.

“The introduction of the True Vision website, set up by the National Police Chiefs’ Council allowing anyone to report hate crimes with ease and anonymity, is another way for victims to receive help in what can be very distressing incidents.

“Despite the rise in these figures Wiltshire is still a very safe county to live in, however we are not complacent and would urge anyone who is the victim of such crime to come forward and report it to us.”

* Contact police via 101 or the True Vision website: www.report-it.org.uk