Anti-Semitic incidents in Greater Manchester have reached a record high, with 244 reported cases in the past year, according to the Community Security Trust (CST). This figure surpasses London's count, despite London having a Jewish population six times larger.
The incidents include swastikas daubed on a kosher butcher, racist phone messages left at Jewish homes, and a swastika and smoke bomb delivered through a letterbox. Verbal attacks have targeted a woman shopping and families walking to synagogue.
Of the 244 incidents, 111 occurred in Salford, 74 in Bury, and 40 in Manchester. The number has trebled since 2003, rising from 201 last year to 244 in 2011.
Mark Gardner of the CST said: "Anti-semitism is not the most important feature in British Jewish life but it remains a serious problem in some parts of society and retains the potential to worsen significantly in reaction to external events."
Lucille Cohen from the Jewish Representative Council attributed the rise partly to improved reporting but noted that areas with high incidents are less multicultural. Chief Superintendent Jon Rush acknowledged the figures are too high and urged victims to report abuse.
