An MP's call for a national debate on the sale of offensive literature such as Mein Kampf has been welcomed by the Board of Deputies.

Labour's Thomas Docherty said he wanted to spark discussion about the book's availability after he noticed its commercial success while searching the history section of Amazon's website before his 40th birthday on Wednesday.

Mr Docherty wrote to Culture Secretary Sajid Javid this week urging him to lead a national consultation on the sale of such material.

Concern had previously been raised over the number of copies of Mein Kampf sold online, with more than 4,700 bought in 2013.

Latest statistics suggest the book is one of the most popular in Amazon's German politics section.

Mr Doherty told the JC: "The reason this has to be driven by government is because that's the one mechanism that could have a sensible debate. It needs to be a consultation including groups such as the Board of Deputies and Holocaust Educational Trust.

"We don't have unfettered free speech in this country. You can't stand at a gathering and spout vile hatred designed to incite racial hatred or antisemitism. If someone stood up and read out sections of Mein Kampf, would that in itself be incitement to racial hatred?"

The Dunfermline and West Fife MP said people needed to consider whether there should be "special treatment" for historical works that could be used by academics to understand the rise of antisemitism.

"Amazon has done nothing wrong or immoral, but a debate is long overdue," he said.

Board vice-president Jonathan Arkush said: "The Board strenuously opposes any material that serves to glorify the Holocaust.

"However in the aftermath of the Paris atrocities we have also been defending the right to free speech and the text of Mein Kampf is a valuable resource for historians researching the Nazi era. We would certainly welcome an intelligent debate on the subject."