Police forces and organisations were asked for their responses to figures that show in some parts of the country police are closing nearly a half of investigations into racially and religiously-aggravated offences without identifying a suspect.

The offences - all of which are defined as hate crimes - include racially or religiously aggravated assault, harassment and criminal damage according to an investigation by the Press Association.

Greater Manchester Police assigned 46% of racially and religiously-aggravated recorded offences the outcome "investigation complete - no suspect identified" in the 12 months to September 2018.

Assistant Chief Constable Wasim Chaudhry said: "Greater Manchester Police acknowledges that we have a lot of work to do to ensure we are dealing with hate crimes in the best ways that we can. Victims are at the centre of what we do and when the results show that we are not achieving the standards that they expect, we have to ask ourselves some serious questions.

"Last year the HMIC (Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary) conducted a review into how we deal with hate crime. They specifically looked at transgender hate crime on this occasion. The HMIC concluded that we are very good at working with specific communities, but some of the work we do is not well replicated in wider areas.

"We are keen to learn how we can improve our response and following on from the recommendations from the HMIC, we reassessed our approach. As part of this every report of hate crime is subjected to a review to examine further investigative opportunities. Victims also receive follow up contact, which is centred around their needs. This will be in person or via telephone by the investigating officer or a member of their local neighbourhood policing team.

"We recognise we have some way to go to reassure our communities that hate crimes are being treated as seriously as they would expect, but this in itself is a priority for us. We aim to be in a position to ensure that all communities in Greater Manchester feel safe to walk our streets without fear of becoming a victim of hate crime, and if unfortunately they do find themselves a victim, they should feel confident that we will investigate it thoroughly."

West Midlands Police assigned 44% of racially and religiously-aggravated offences the outcome "investigation complete - no suspect identified".

Chief Inspector Tony Morriss said: "We take all reports of hate crime extremely seriously, as such behaviour is completely unacceptable within our many diverse and multi-cultural communities.

"It has historically been an under-reported crime and it is encouraging more victims are willing to come forward and confide in our officers. We are determined to bring offenders to justice and follow all active lines of inquiry to trace suspects.

"On occasions where there are no witnesses or CCTV, such as vandalism, it may not be possible to identify any suspects. But reporting such crimes helps with our intelligence gathering and can identify any patterns or links between crimes. This can help us to do more to tackle hate crime in the future."

British Transport Police assigned 37% of racially and religiously-aggravated offences the outcome "investigation complete - no suspect identified".

Detective Inspector Lisa Jones said: "Our officers are dedicated to keeping the rail network safe for everyone to use. All reported crimes, including hate crime, are investigated rigorously with officers using every tool at their disposal to ensure offenders are brought before the court and victims see justice.

"The sort of hate crime experienced on the rail network is largely verbal abuse, rather than physical attacks, both of which are treated very seriously. These offences are recorded irrespective of whether the victim provides their name and contact details or whether they wish to assist a police investigation or prosecution.

"Unfortunately, there are cases where a suspect is not identified regardless of the efforts taken, and in these cases it's important to note that although they are unsolved, they are never truly closed and officers will investigate any new evidence that comes to light.

"We firmly believe that hate crime goes under-reported and have worked to increase passenger confidence in reporting offences to the police. Our campaign, #WeStandTogether, has helped to improving awareness of hate crimes and we believe this has led to an increase in reports, likewise our discreet text reporting service 61016 has made it much easier for passengers to report incidents.

"If you experience hate crime, or see it happening, we want to know about it. Report an incident to us discreetly by texting 61016 or calling 0800 40 50 40. In an emergency always ring 999."

Northumbria Police assigned 33% of racially and religiously-aggravated offences the outcome "investigation complete - no suspect identified".

Superintendent Karl Wilson said: "It is totally unacceptable to abuse somebody because of their race, age, sexual orientation, religion, disability or any other protected characteristic and we will stand together to stop this sort of prejudice.

"Hate crime is something that has been under-reported for a long time, but as a force have worked extremely hard to give victims the confidence to come forward. There has been a significant improvement in how we record hate crime and an increased understanding among officers about what constitutes a hate crime.

"We know that not everyone feels comfortable in calling 101 or 999 to report these types of crimes to the police so we have also invested in a number of other ways to report hate crime. We have Safe Reporting Centres across the Northumbria force area, work closely with third sector agencies such as True Vision and Tell Mamma and also support a number of online reporting tools.

"We will continue to work closely with a wide range of partners to tackle hate crime and make it as easy as possible for victims to report incidents, so we in turn can ensure they are fully investigated by police. If you have been a victim of hate crime we would urge you to come forward. Even if this does not result in a criminal prosecution, you will be supported by our specialist officers."

Sussex Police assigned 31% of racially and religiously-aggravated offences the outcome "investigation complete - no suspect identified".

A spokesman said: "Sussex Police is working hard to raise awareness of what hate crime is and how people can report it, and to build confidence in victims to come forward. Hate crimes and incidents nationally are under-reported so we are encouraged that reporting in Sussex is increasing, as it is across the country.

"We have clear reporting and flagging procedures and have led activity regionally and we contribute to national discussion in this area. Sussex Police and Crime Commissioner. Katy Bourne, has actively supported work to address hate crime.

"While we acknowledge that positive outcomes for hate crime are generally low, nationally Sussex figures highly among other forces in achieving successful outcomes for hate crime cases reaching court."

National Police Chiefs' Council Lead for Hate Crime, Assistant Chief Constable Mark Hamilton, said: "For many years, we have been working to encourage those who have been victims of hate crime to come forward and tell police about their experiences. While we are concerned by the overall rise in hate crimes, of any nature, we view these figures as a successful reflection of our efforts in an area of under-reported crime.

"Police will investigate crime reports and will pursue action against those responsible where there is evidence to do so. Unfortunately, with many cases, there are often no witnesses to these crimes and scarce evidence - this may lead to police being unable to identify a suspect.

"The police service has no tolerance for this type of abuse but we need to be made aware that crimes are taking place so that we can investigate or better still, prevent them from happening."

Rebecca Hilsenrath, chief executive at the Equality and Human Rights Commission, said: "Attacking or harassing people is unacceptable in today's society and it is shameful when carried out because of their identity. We know victims of hate crime often don't report what has happened to them as they feel that the police won't take the incident seriously or have the power to act, so it is disappointing that so many cases are being closed without a suspect being identified.

"It's vital that any potential hate crimes or incidents are reported to the police to bring greater awareness of the scale of the issue and help ensure they are properly investigated and prosecuted. Police forces must collect accurate and comprehensive data so they can develop effective solutions to end hate crime in our society.

"Our hate crime legislation also needs to keep pace with changes in society and technology so that perpetrators can be brought to justice, and we are pleased that the Government in England and Wales has committed to a full review of the law."

Diana Fawcett, chief officer at independent charity Victim Support, said: "This type of attack can have a particularly devastating impact on victims as it's a very personal attack on part of their identity.

"We know from our experience supporting victims that they can be seriously impacted, both emotionally and physically, and it is really important that people know there is support available, whether or not they have reported the incident to the police.

"Hate crime is still under-reported as victims often fear they won't be taken seriously. The fact that such a large number of these cases are being closed with no suspect identified threatens to further undermine public confidence in the criminal justice system when it comes to reporting racially and religiously motivated hate crime."