Footballs fans who sing antisemitic chants often "don't realise" they are being racist, a prominent campaigner and writer has said.

Ivor Baddiel, who wrote a film raising awareness of Jew-hate on the terraces in December, was speaking on Sky Sports' Tackling Racism panel on Monday when he said "a lot" of those chanting "don't realise that they are being antisemitic".

"Part of the whole confusion with the issue - and that's why programmes like this are so good - is, I would argue, that a lot of people don't realise that they are being antisemitic," Mr Baddiel told the panel.

"I think they think they are [often] being anti-Tottenham and therefore [they think] that is OK.

"That's how confused it has got that people can chant 'Spurs are on their way to Auschwitz, Hitler is going to get them again' and think they are just having a go at Spurs fans without realising.

"And that for me sums up the whole confusion. As Jews, we understand it is antisemitic but I think a lot of people don't realise that."

Jewish Guardian journalist and West Ham fan Jacob Steinberg was also on the panel and said the notion that Jewish people were Tottenham supporters contributed to people feeling able to use antisemitic tropes. 

He said: "It is a way of isolating another community and when you turn it into 'Tottenham fans are Jewish' there is a logical follow-on...

"Eventually you get to the point where actually it's alright to say things about Jews, it's alright to hate Jews because Jews are Tottenham fans, 'Tottenham fans are Jews, we hate Tottenham so let's hate the Jews as well'.

"Ultimately that leads to even worse chanting and when you challenge these people you could end up getting punched in the face inside the ground or outside the ground."