Anti-Semitic hate crime has risen 80% in Manchester

Anti-Semitic hate crime doubled across the UK last year Credit: PA

The number of anti-Semitic hate crimes in Manchester has risen by 80%,that's according to the Community Security Trust charity- a charity that monitors anti-Semitism and provides security for the Jewish community in Britain.

In 2014, 269 anti-semitic hate crimes were recorded in Manchester up from 131 in 2013 and 127 in 2012.

Manchester was responsible for 26% of incidents across the Uk - the only place that had more incidents was London with 583 incidents. Together Manchester and London represent 3/4 of all anti-Semitic hate crime across the UK.

Anti-Semitic reactions to the dispute in the Middle East are said to be the single biggest contributing factor in the surge.

In response to the rise in hate crimes Greater Manchester Police say they have reviewed their security measures, increased patrols and are in constant dialogue with Jewish community leaders

In 2014 hate incidents doubled across the UK to exceed 1,000 in a single year for the first time.

The 1,168 recorded anti-Semitic incidents included 81 violent anti-Semitic assaults - an increase of 17% from the 69 anti-Semitic assaults recorded in 2013 and the highest number since 2011.

There were 81 incidents of damage and desecration of Jewish property in 2014, 884 incidents of abusive behaviour, including verbal abuse, anti-Semitic graffiti, anti-Semitic abuse via social media and one-off cases of hate mail, 92 direct anti-Semitic threats, and 30 cases of mass-mailed anti-Semitic leaflets or emails. All of these were increases on the 2013 totals.

The most common single type of incident in 2014 involved verbal abuse randomly directed at visibly Jewish people in public. In 397 incidents, the victims were Jewish people attacked or abused while going about their daily business in public places.

There was also a clear rise in anti-semitic incidents recorded on social media. In 2014 CST recorded 233 anti-Semitic incidents that involved the use of social media to transmit anti-Semitic threats or abuse, compared to 88 such incidents in 2013.

Earlier Granada Reports spoke to Rabi Arnold Saunders who told us about a shocking incident he had witnessed: