Criminal cases involving antisemitism and other forms of hatred have seen a dramatic increase in courts passing tougher sentences, the Crown Prosecution Service has revealed.

Figures released on Tuesday show that in more than 6,300 cases where there was hostility based on race, religion, sexual orientation, disability or transgender issues, the sentence imposed was increased.

One such high-profile case was the conviction of John Nimmo, who was jailed for two years in February for sending antisemitic messages to a Jewish MP.

But the CPS report showed a general rise in hate crimes of almost 30 per cent last year.