Synagogues, churches and mosques will be given government cash to protect themselves against attacks by racists, under plans to be published this week.

Amber Rudd, the Home Secretary, will launch a new “hate crime” action plan, including a drive to punish offenders more harshly by ordering prosecutors to press for tougher sentences in court.

A £2.4 million fund will be set up to pay for “protective security measures” at places of worship, the Home Office said.

The Home Office strategy will include details on work to prevent hate crime on buses and trains, as well as efforts to prevent anti-Semitism and attacks on Muslim women.

The plan comes after a sharp rise in so-called “hate crime” incidents such as barging, spitting and assaults directed at racial and religious minorities around the time of the European Union referendum a month ago.