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One in eight trans people have been physically assaulted on the basis of their chosen identity, it is being claimed, backing up court rulings that the UK has become increasingly hostile for the trans community.

Recently, a trans woman was granted asylum in New Zealand over abuse she received in Manchester. The 57-year-old woman was granted residency by an immigration and protection tribunal in Auckland, which decided the woman was safer in her adopted country. The case could be replicated after staggering figures were revealed by the report.

Almost 900 trans and non-binary people took part in the investigation by charity Stonewall, which campaigns on LGBT rights, revealing how respondents had been publicly shamed, sworn at, and physically attacked.

“What we have found is deeply worrying,” Ruth Hunt, Stonewall chief executive said. “Hate crime and discrimination against trans people, on our streets, in our hospitals, in workplaces and at universities, is widespread.

“Two in five trans people had to deal with a hate crime or incident in the past 12 months. Many trans people are forced to hide who they are, change how they dress or drop out of university because of fear of discrimination. In our workplaces, half of trans and non-binary people have hidden or disguised that they are LGBT for this reason, and one in eight have been physically attacked by a colleague or customer.”