A student who tweeted “just gas them all” to a Jewish teenager has admitted sending racially aggravated messages.

Alexander Paul Holloway, 19, sent antisemitic tweets because he “didn’t like what Israel was doing in Palestine”, Chester Magistrates Court has heard.

Alison Warburton, prosecuting, said: “The victim accessed their Twitter account and noticed a message from the defendant that said ‘Jews are vile’.”

On December 5, Holloway posted a photograph of a Jewish man with a caption reading “this creature should be gassed.” He then said to “just gas them all” with the victim “in there as well.”

The court heard that Holloway had been drinking with a friend when he posted the messages.

Mrs Warburton said: “Mr Holloway said he had watched history programmes on television and didn’t like what Israel was doing in Palestine.”

Holloway, of Hartford, near Northwich, Cheshire, admitted sending two racially aggravated messages to a Jewish teenager, who cannot be named for legal reasons, on October 5 and December 5, last year.

He was charged with the offence after the victim said they had felt threatened and offended by the messages.

Defending, Becky Hay said Holloway had “no reason to do this and fully accepts that the comments were hurtful and offensive to the victim.”

Holloway was given a 12-month community order on January 2, with a supervision requirement and was ordered to complete the Promoting Human Dignity programme — a programme aimed at racially motivated offenders.

A three-year restraining order was also declared, preventing him from contacting the victim directly or indirectly.