Anti-racism campaigners have reported a massive 38% increase in incidents of discrimination in England’s top four leagues compared to this time last season.

Kick It Out carried out the analysis which said there had been 111 incidents since August - 64 in the Premier League and 47 in the Championship, League One and League Two, compared to 40 and 29 respectively at the midway stage of last season.

Lord Ouseley, chair of Kick It Out, said the figures “should act as a wake-up call to everyone in the sport”.

There was no regional breakdown for the figures. However Paul Mortimer, the body’s Professional Players Engagement Manager, said there was a positive aspect to the news.

He said: “I can see why people will be worried but the positive thing is that people are starting to report these incidents and are getting more confident to do so.

“Unfortunately what we’re going to see is that the issue is still very much there.”

Overall there has been a 59% increase in incidents of discrimination this season across the top four leagues as well as in the top four tiers of non-league football, the grassroots game and social media.

There have been 282 incidents reported to Kick It Out so far season compared to 177 last season.

Racist behaviour (54%) was once again the highest reported form of discrimination, with homophobia, biphobia and transphobia (HBT) (22%) and antisemitism (9%) being other notable areas of reporting.

Reporting at grassroots level to the organisation saw a small rise (14%), from 37 to 42 incidents.

Paul said: “That is a concern as the figure is so small when you consider how vast the grassroots level is.”

He highlighted the work Kick it Out is doing to deal with the issue of discrimination which can see fans who are caught facing sizeable bans.

However Paul added: “It’s not just about sanctions. It’s about education too. A lot of people who are reported don’t believe what they are doing is discrimination. The more people reflect on their behaviour, it will mean that we will get to the point when ignorance isn’t a justification.”

Meanwhile Lord Ouseley, has called on the football authorities to increase their efforts in tackling discriminatory behaviour across all levels of the sport.

He said: “Our latest statistics reveal a significant increase in incidents of discrimination in football, which should act as a wake-up call to everyone in the sport.

“The spike in these mid-season reporting statistics come against the backdrop of rising hatred in our society, as recently shown in Community Security Trust’s publication of reported antisemitic incidents.

“These pieces of evidence indicate there is no place for complacency when it comes to challenging prejudice.”

To report discrimination across all levels of the English football, download the free Kick It Out reporting app – available on the App Store and Google Play. The app features the option to report anonymously as well as the ability to include video and images to a report.