A spate of attacks on a Jewish cemetery in Manchester have caused around £100,000 worth of damage. 

Urmston Jewish Cemetery in Greater Manchester has been subjected to three attacks in just over a month,, according to community leaders.

Around 25 headstones were pushed over or smashed at the burial ground during incidents on May 7 and 14, and a further 30 were damaged on June 10, according to antisemitism monitors the Community Security Trust (CST).

A spokesman for the Jewish Representative Council of Greater Manchester and Region said the damage caused "a substantial financial and emotional cost". 

“We were saddened to learn that, for the third time in a month the Jewish cemetery in Urmston has been desecrated causing in the region of £100,000 of damage. This is despite the security in the cemetery having been recently upgraded," they said.

“Our information currently is that the police and CST have no indication as to the identity of the perpetrators and we feel it is likely mindless vandalism.

"Unfortunately there is a substantial financial and emotional cost from occurrences such as these but we have faced down far worse than this.

“As a community we are unfortunately used to these acts of violence. We have to be aware, alert and vigilant but we must not let it affect our day to day lives, we must live with confidence not fear.”

Ian Levy, of Whitefield Hebrew Congregation, told the BBC that the attacks may have been carried out antisemites or by "youngsters with nothing better to do".

Mark Gardner, of the CST, said they were “working hard with the cemetery authorities, local Police and councillors to install further security measures at the site and to encourage local residents to report the vandals responsible for these distressing actions”.

Greater Manchester Police are investigating and treating the crimes as “hate incidents".