Only 3.8% of hate crime law complaints authentic so far, says Police Scotland

Official data for first week shows 7,152 reports received but fewer than 300 judged to be legitimate

Police Scotland has said only a tiny number of the thousands of reports lodged so far under Scotland's controversial hate crime act were authentic.

The force released data showing 3.8% of the 7,152 complaints it received in the first week the hate crime act was in force were judged to be legitimate. Only 240 complaints were logged as hate crimes, and 30 as non-hate incidents.