ANTI-SEMITIC graffitti is increasing in Prestwich and Whitefield, police say.

There have now been five incidents since the beginning of October, four of which were reported in Prestwich.

Insp Mark Kenny, from Bury police, said: “This is a repugnant criminal act which has taken place in the heart of the Jewish community.

“Greater Manchester Police will not tolerate such unacceptable acts of criminality and will deal with any reported hate crime in a robust manner.

“To those who engage in such acts and think it’s clever, my message is clear: we will track you down and prosecute you.

“My officers have carried out high-visibility patrols in the area to provide reassurance and deter further incidents.

"They will also be going into local schools and working with our partners within the Community Security Trust to educate communities on the impact of such incidents.

“I would strongly appeal to anyone who may have information about these incidents to contact their local police and tell us what you know.”

Anyone with information is asked to call police on 101 or Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555111.

Mark Gardener, spokesperson for the Community Security Trust, said: "We would encourage anybody who sees a swastika daubing or has any information regarding who is behind this to report it to the police and to CST.

"This graffiti is highly offensive to the Jewish community as well as the wider public and we appreciate the seriousness with which Greater Manchester Police are treating these incidents.”