The report called for further work with ethnic groups

A total of 60 incidents were recorded during 2005-06, compared to 41 over 2004-05, an official report revealed.

The majority of the crimes were described as random acts of alcohol-fuelled verbal abuse.

Police said there was no evidence of ethnic minorities being targeted, but the report came amid a contuniung rise in Angus' migrant worker population.

The figures came in a report published by local equality organisation Rimap, whose members include police, council, health and education workers.

'Spontaenous abuse'

The group's chairman, Tayside Police Ch Insp Hugh Robson, said the increase did not mean that racial harassment was on the rise.

"The majority of these incidents appear to relate to spontaneous verbal abuse fuelled by alcohol or occurring during other anti-social behaviour," he stated.

"While this by no means reduces the impact of these crimes, there is no evidence of ethnic minority groups being deliberately targeted by individuals in the Angus area."

The report put the rise down to several factors, including a new, wider definition of racism, increased confidence in the police and race issues gaining greater publicity.

However Ch Insp Robson pointed out that Angus, like many areas of the country, was attracting more eastern European nationals to work and to settle down.