The German government says it will respond to an “alarming” rise in weapons seizures during raids on far-Right extremists by handing police more powers to fight radicalism.

Close to 1,100 weapons were confiscated in the course of investigations into Right-wing crime in 2018, marking a 61 per cent rise on the previous year when 676 weapons were found, new statistics show.

Horst Seehofer, the interior minister, said the figures represent an “alarming increase” but also show that “our investigations are having an impact and authorities are keeping a close eye on the scene."

Mr Seehofer, a member of the conservative Christian Social Union party, said police capabilities would be beefed up in response.

"I am determined to strengthen the security services both in personnel and in structure and to give them the necessary legal tools to cope with this threat," he stated.

A veteran law-and-order man, Mr Seehofer has previously faced criticism from civil liberties groups for introducing sweeping police powers in his native Bavaria which included abolishing time limits on police detentions.

The weapons listed as being seized during raids last year included hand guns, rifles and knives, as well as pepper spray, fireworks and "dangerous tools".

No detailed breakdown of the numbers of each type of weapon has yet been released. German police have in the past faced criticism for using a loose definition of what constitutes a weapon.