REPORTS of racist crimes have increased by 25% in a county which last year witnessed vicious street riots.

The findings were published by Greater Manchester Police in its ethnic monitoring and hate-crime annual report.

Of the 4,567 hate-crimes reported between April 2001 and March this year, 82.1% were racially motivated, according to the figures.

And almost a third of the reported racist crime recorded during the 12-month period occurred in and around Oldham.

The former mill town was the scene of running street battles last spring following a build-up of racial tension set against a backdrop of increased activity by extremist right-wing groups.

Police said the impact of the disturbances in Oldham could be seen within the figures contained in the report.

For the first time the publication provides statistics on hate-crime directed at victims due to disability, gender, religion and sexual orientation as well as race.

Other findings include a 18.1% drop in stop searches, a 7.4% reduction in complaints against the police and a 2.9% rise in minority ethnic officers.

Assistant Chief Constable Ian Seabridge, responsible for community affairs, said, "It is the first time such comprehensive information has been provided in one report. We hope it will go some way to demonstrating our willingness to be open and accountable for the service we provide for communities.

"As a force, we have been leading the way in addressing race issues during the last 12 months. The efforts have been recognised nationally but it is important for us to build greater public trust and confidence. I want the public to continue to have confidence in the integrity of the policing service we provide."

He added: "We continue to urge people to report all forms of hate crime wherever it occurs so we can take appropriate action."