The number of racially motivated crimes that police pass on to the Crown Prosecution Service went up by 20% last year.

Most of the cases led to a successful prosecution but a significant minority collapsed because of problems with witnesses, according to figures released by the Attorney General, Lord Goldsmith.

I'm so depressed, my life is on hold and it's all because of racism Mal Hussain victim of racially motivated crime

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Lord Goldsmith said he hoped a growing confidence in the CPS among ethnic minority communities was behind the increase.

The figures were disclosed as the CPS launched a consultation exercise to improve the way it deals with minority communities and hate crime.

Prosecutors are meeting in Cardiff on Thursday to ask community groups for suggestions, in an effort to forge a new relationship with victims of race hate crimes.

A key issue is that a quarter of cases which do not reach court are halted because witnesses are intimidated or afraid.

'Crucial step'

Sir David Calvert-Smith QC, director of public prosecutions, told BBC News: "Something we will be discussing at the conference is how to support the victims who have the courage to report the crime, but then feel unable to come to court to give their evidence."

Lord Goldsmith said: "Those who have experience of these types of crime have expertise that we need to tap.

Norris and Acourt received 18 months for racially abusing a black officer

"The consultation is a crucial first step in developing a credible public policy statement that will meet the needs of individuals when prosecuting cases which involve either racism or religious discrimination."

In the London borough of Eltham, where black teenager Stephen Lawrence was murdered, there have been 16 serious racially motivated attacks in the past nine months.

The level of retractions by witnesses is very high because of intimidation or the fear of reprisals Lord Goldsmith

Residents met racial equality campaigners to discuss the problem at a public meeting on Wednesday.

There were 3,728 cases of racially aggravated crime handed to the CPS by police between April 2001 and March 2002, a rise of 20%, said the Attorney General.

Of these, 72% were prosecuted with the remainder discontinued or dropped at court.

More than eight out of 10 cases which went ahead resulted in a conviction.

Religious hate

But some victims claim the actual number of racial incidents is far higher because the police are not taking their complaints seriously.

Lord Goldsmith said: "These figures have been increasing year-on-year since monitoring began in 1996.

Nearly one-third of cases did not go to court

"I hope these figures demonstrate that the confidence of the minority ethnic communities in the CPS is increasing, but we cannot be sure.

"The CPS is doing a lot to tackle these offences."

Among those prosecuted during the year included David Norris and Neil Acourt, the former Stephen Lawrence murder inquiry suspects.

They received 18 months for racially abusing a black off-duty police officer, but were released last month under a Home Office scheme to ease prison overcrowding after serving just eight months.

Lord Goldsmith also revealed that prosecutors have brought 15 religiously-motivated cases under new measures in the Anti-Terrorism, Crime and Security Act 2001.