Jeremy Corbyn has been criticised by Jewish Labour campaigners after meeting controversial Charedi activist Shraga Stern for lunch in Westminster.

The Labour leader and his wife Laura Alvarez were seen in conversation with Mr Stern -who has aggressively opposed changes to government policy on the teaching of LGBT issues in schools – on Wednesday.

Dan Carden, Labour’s shadow international development secretary was also at the meeting.

A Jewish Labour Movement spokesperson said: “It’s a shame that the only representatives of any part of the Jewish community that Corbyn is prepared to listen to are those from its most reactionary sections.

"Shraga Stern has been an inveterate campaigner against children being taught that LGBT people exist. His views and tactics do not represent the vast bulk of the Jewish community.”

In February, Mr Stern attended a protest outside a Birmingham school against the introduction of lesson about same-sex relationships and gender reassignment.

He also wrote to Education Secretary Damian Hinds, saying: “Many members of the community would choose to leave the United Kingdom for a more hospitable jurisdiction rather than comply with such an obligation to mention homosexuality or gender reassignment in a positive context at school.”

In January, Mr Corbyn and his wife were spotted with Mr Stern at the official Holocaust Memorial Day event.

Mr Corbyn, Ms Alvarez, Labour General Secretary Jennie Formby and three other party officials, including his chief of staff Karie Murphy, walked into the venue with Mr Stern.

Days earlier, during Prime Minister’s Questions in the House of Commons, Mr Stern was spotted with Ms Alvarez, watching from the balcony.

Asked to comment on Wednesday’s meeting, a Labour spokesperson said: "The Labour Party has long supported and campaigned for LGBT+ inclusive education in schools, and the achievement of cross Party support for legislation this year was a significant step forward in the struggle for LGBT+ equality.”

Mr Stern told the JC he had gone to parliament for Prime Minister's Questions and had run into Mr Corbyn.

“It was a casual sit-down, it wasn’t a planned meeting. We had a general chat and spoke about everything except education. There are different Charedi lobbying groups who are dealing with education and I respect rabbis’ requests that I cease campaigning,” Mr Stern said.

“I am not a homophobe and my campaign was to continue the Charedi tradition that sex education is taught only by parents at home – and nothing to do with LGBT teaching. I am against any sex education in the classroom and I made that clear in my speech at Parkfield. “

He said JLM’s attack on him was “extremely hurtful”.

He said pictures of him with Mr Corbyn had been taken by Labour MP Dame Margaret Hodge; he added that he was “quite offended” by that. “I felt quite intimidated.”

Mr Corbyn was due to meet the Parliamentary Committee of Labour MPs and peers on Wednesday at 2pm – but cancelled the meeting just as it was due to begin.