Police in south Wales have urged racism victims to come forward, amid fears that incidents may be going unreported following the Brexit vote.

Since last month's EU referendum result, police forces across the UK have reported a sharp spike in so-called "hate crimes".

However, South Wales Police said there has only been a slight rise in the number of complaints it has received, in contrast to other nearby forces.

Detectives are unsure whether the lower figures are because there has been less racist abuse or because victims feel too intimidated to come forward.

Superintendent Liane Bartlett wants the force to take a proactive approach given the "tangible feeling of a change in climate".

She said: "The concern is that people are not reporting incidents and as a result crimes are not being investigated.

"We have not seen an increase in hate crimes reported to us however that is not to say that abuse of this nature is not taking place.

"We urge anyone who has been subjected to any behaviour of this type to contact us.

"South Wales has a long and proud tradition of strong, diverse communities and we will not tolerate any criminal actions."

South Wales Police is Wales' biggest police force in terms of population coverage and covers Cardiff and Swansea as well as smaller towns such as Port Talbot and Bridgend.

Earlier this month the National Police Chiefs' Council (NPCC) revealed a five-fold increase in hate crime incidents since the referendum.

According to national online portal True Vision, 331 incidents were reported in the wake of the result, compared with a weekly average of 63.

South Wales Police's own figures totalled 47 incidents in the first week of July, compared with 44 for the same week in 2015.

Ms Bartlett added it was possible the figures were "the tip of the iceberg" and it was important for victims and witnesses to come forward.

Among those backing the police's call is anti-racism campaigner Shazia Awan.

Muslim businesswoman Ms Awan, who was born in Caerphilly and lives in Cardiff, has reported six alleged incidents to police so far.

However, Ms Awan said she knew others who had been targeted who had not made complaints, including a black doctor who she said was told "go home, we voted to get rid of people like you".

"Some people I've been talking to have the fear of not being taken seriously or believed," she added.

"And others may fear retaliation or being perceived as trouble makers. But from my own experience, where I have reported six incidents, I can say that is not the case at all.

"While South Wales Police hasn't seen an increase of reports in hate crime, the experiences of many people across Wales who I have met in the past two weeks since the Brexit results, suggests otherwise. I have personally reported six incidents.

"It is clear that there is a barrier to reporting issues and we are here today to hopefully help to overcome that."