GWENT Police are continuing to monitor closely reports of hate crime, following an increase in incidents last summer after the EU referendum.
And the force's lead officer on hate crime is urging anyone who feels that they have been a victim to come forward.
Last week, research from the Press Association revealed a widespread rise in such crimes after the vote in favour of Brexit last June, with increases in incidents recorded in all but four of the 44 police forces areas in England and Wales during July-September.
In Gwent, the increase during that three-month period was 22 per cent (77 reports), and reports of hate crime rose in all four Welsh force areas.
Detective Chief Superintendent Mark Warrender, lead for hate crime in Gwent and the chairman of the Wales Hate Crime and Criminal Justice Board, stressed that the police service takes all reports of hate crime seriously and has a zero tolerance approach towards perpetrators.
"Following the referendum result we saw an increase in recorded hate incidents in Gwent which mirrored the national picture, and we continue to monitor reports closely," he said. 
“All of our officers have received hate crime training and we also have a dedicated team of hate crime support officers who can provide specialist support.
"In Wales, additional support for victims is available from Victim Support, who can provide emotional and practical assistance. 
“As a result of the work that we have been doing around hate crime, we now have one of the best satisfaction rates in the country and victims are telling us that once they have reported to us, they have felt supported, believed and treated fairly by our officers. 
“I would encourage anyone who has experienced any form of hate to report this to the police on 101, online at www.report-it.org or 999 in an emergency.
"You can also report in confidence if you prefer to Victim Support at www.reporthate.victimsupport.org.uk or on 0300 303 1982."
Provisional Home Office figures published last autumn suggested a 41 per cent rise in offences in July 2016 compared to July 2015.