Former prime minister Tony Blair said he is “ashamed” of the spate of anti-Semitic hate crimes which swept Barnet last weekend.

A woman was pelted with eggs in Mill Hill, the window of a family home was smashed in with a brick and offensive graffiti popped up around Barnet all on the same weekend, putting the community on the alert.

Mr Blair spoke at the European Parliament’s Holocaust Memorial Day event on Wednesday (January 25), organised with the European Jewish Congress.

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The 63-year-old ex-premier, who recently hinted at a return to UK politics, urged to world not to be “bystanders” to racial hatred.

He said: “There is no small act of prejudice which does not enlarge the space for prejudice and hatred to flourish so we must stand against it from the beginning.

“We reaffirm in this struggle there are no by-standers, to fail to act is in itself an action.

“Action has consequence and the consequence is what we saw in extreme when we watch the face of those who died in the holocaust.

“They died because of acts of hatred but they also die because of indifference, when indifference has no place in the face of prejudice.

“Even in Britain in the last few days, I’m ashamed to say, there have been acts of hate against the Jewish community.

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“Vigilance is a necessity and any sense of security is false.”

Today is Holocaust Memorial Day and services will take place across the UK this weekend.

Police continue to investigate the recent crimes in Barnet and anyone who sees anything or has any information has been asked to contact them by phoning 101.