LONDON (Sputnik) — Police noticed a sharp increase in hate crime in the UK city of Manchester in the wake of Monday deadly terrorist attack in the city, Greater Manchester police’s chief constable, Ian Hopkins said Friday.
"Sadly, we have seen an increase in reports of hate incidents from 28 on Monday, which is what we receive on an average day, to 56 on Wednesday this week. We can’t directly link these to the events of Monday night and are continuing to monitor the situation," Hopkins told reporters as quoted by ITV channel.
On Monday night, an explosion occurred outside the Manchester Arena at the end of US singer Ariana Grande's concert, leaving at least 22 people dead and dozens more injured. UK police have identified 22-year-old Salman Abedi as the individual they suspect of having perpetrated the attack. The Islamic State (IS, banned in Russia) terror organization has reportedly claimed responsibility for the attack.