London, Jan 10 (IANS): Homophobic hate crimes in London have increased by 55 per cent in five years, prompting calls for changes to the law, it was reported.

Latest government figures showed that there were 3,111 hate crimes based on sexual orientation in the 12 months up to October 2019, reports the BBC.

Between 2014-15 and 2018-9 the number of recorded hate crimes based on sexual orientation across England and Wales went up from 5,591 to 14,491 - a rise of 160 per cent.

Hate crimes against transgender people have nearly quadrupled in the last five years, to 2,333 reports last year.

But campaign group Stonewall said 81 per cent of people who experienced LGBTQ+ hate crime did not report it to the police.

Regarding the development, London Mayor Sadiq Khan said that it was "too simplistic to think that creating a new offence will solve the problem of bigotry and hate".

"Everyone should be concerned that disgusting hate crimes of all kinds are on the rise nationally," the BBC quoted Sadiq's spokesperson as saying on Thursday.

"In London, Sadiq is investing a record 6 million pounds tackling hate crime in all its forms."