The Metropolitan Police is investigating a “small number” of suspects who may have committed online antisemitic hate crimes within a dossier of abuse by Labour members, the force’s commissioner has confirmed.

Cressida Dick, the Met highest-ranking officer, told LBC radio on Tuesday that investigators were taking early advice from the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) as to “whether the evidential standard has been met and whether it is likely to be in the public interest for any charge to be brought”.

The news outlet passed on a number of case files to Ms Dick live on air earlier this month.

The dossier contained alleged Jew-hatred by 45 members of the party, some of whom are now under investigation.

Tom Watson, the party's deputy leader, said of the dossier at the time that it was "thoroughly depressing, though sadly I'm not surprised."

LBC's file was reviewed by Mak Chisty, a former Met commander who ran the force's hate crime unit.

He concluded four of the cases constituted race hate crimes. One of them was a post saying: "We shall rid the Jews who are a cancer on us all." Another referred to "a Zionist extremist MP … who hates civilised people, about to get a good kicking".

Seventeen more could be deemed hate crimes after the investigation.

Ms Dick told LBC: “These are reasonably complex crimes to investigate, actually. We’re taking early advice now from the CPS in relation to a small number of named people where we believe a crime may be made out.

“It’s quite complicated. We need to talk to the CPS. If they come back to us and say ‘Yes, we think you are right’, we will carry on with our investigation into a small number of people for antisemitic crimes.”