Ex-MP turned police and crime commissioner Jane Kennedy has quit Labour over the treatment of Jewish MP Luciana Berger, who left the party last month calling it "institutionally antisemitic".

Ms Kennedy, who is commissioner for Merseyside and was Ms Berger's predecessor representing the Liverpool Wavertree constituency, said she was "deeply disturbed" by the antisemitic abuse Ms Berger faced as she left the party.

"I have been deeply disturbed by the abuse suffered by Luciana Berger and other Labour elected members across Merseyside," she said.

"I was elected to promote action against hate crime, amongst other things, and am no longer able to defend what the Labour Party allows to happen in its name."

Ms Berger was one of a group of MPs who left Labour and the Tories to form The Independent Group. She faced threats and abuse in the runup to and after her departure. 

As the JC revealed in November, Jeremy Corbyn and his team failed to make any contact with Ms Berger after it was announced there would be a criminal investigation into violent antisemitic threats made against her.

The news Ms Kennedy was quitting the party prompted her deputy Emily Spurrell to quit from the post, saying she could not serve a commissioner who was not Labour.