Anti-Semitic incidents in the UK have rocketed by nearly 500 per cent since the start of the latest conflict in Gaza, according to a charity.

The Community Security Trust (CST), which has a helpline for British Jews to report incidents, has received more than 240 calls in July alone – up from around 50 a month for the rest of 2014.

Anti-Semitic incidents are classed as any verbal or physical act aimed at Jewish people, groups or property where there is evidence of an Anti-Semitic motivation.

Mark Gardner, the communications director for the CST, said the number of attacks in July is likely to rise as workers process the “huge volume” of calls they have received.

“The actual data is bad enough but cannot convey the mood of the Jewish community, with many people telling us that they have never felt so bad, have been under such pressure, nor worried so much about what the future may hold,” he added.

“British Jews, like those elsewhere, will continue to suffer local anti-Semitic impacts from overseas events and global ideological trends.”

July was the second-worst month ever recorded by the charity, established in 1994, after 289 incidents were seen in January 2009.

The vast majority of pro-Palestine protests have been peaceful but some have spilled over into vandalism (Getty)

There have been more than 10 arrests made in relation to the reports so far and other cases are being investigated by the police, while others have not been confirmed.

It follows a pattern of spikes caused by violence in the Gaza Strip, where an estimated 2,000 Palestinians have been killed in less than two months in an Israeli military operation against Hamas.

Many incidents have involved verbal abuse and threats against Jews in public places, Mr Gardner said, adding that dominant themes were Jews being called child murderers or Nazis and being told “Hitler was right”.

He used the analogy of a pressure cooker to describe how hatred bubbling under the surface has had the “lid blown off” by recent events.

A similar phenomenon was recorded by Muslim charities in 2013 following the murder of Lee Rigby in Woolwich, when a spate of Islamophobic crimes including mosque attacks broke out.

Countless protests have taken place against Israel’s bombardment of Gaza across the UK and many groups have taken pains to distinguish their stance on the nation’s military policy from anti-Semitism.

But Mr Gardner said it was not the Jewish community that needs telling the distinction as Jews become targets across Europe.

The quenelle gesture, widely seen as anti-Semitic, given in France (Getty)

In a letter in Friday’s Independent, Stephen Spencer Ryde, from London, described how his wife was called “scum” in a pub in Bath when she mentioned her Jewish background and a friend’s son was asked to leave a student hall in Manchester because he was eating kosher food with a Hebrew label.

A blue plaque marking the birthplace of former Israeli president Chaim Herzog had to be removed in Belfast because of repeated vandalism and a Tesco supermarket in Birmingham was vandalised following a protest to boycott Israeli goods.

At Kingston Synagogue, in west London, a sign reading “child murderers” was stuck up outside the building.

Rabbi Samuel Landau said he had an “initial knee-jerk reaction” fearing “blood libels of old”, but despite the attack he says Jews “should not be fearful”, and that he has had “heart-warming expressions of support” from numerous faith groups.

In pictures: Fears of French Gaza spillover grow after 'anti-semitic' riot in Paris suburb Show all 8 1 /8 In pictures: Fears of French Gaza spillover grow after 'anti-semitic' riot in Paris suburb In pictures: Fears of French Gaza spillover grow after 'anti-semitic' riot in Paris suburb France, Paris Rioters face riot police, following a pro-Palestinian demonstration, in Sarcelles, north of Paris. French youth defying a ban on a protest against Israel's Gaza offensive went on a rampage in a Paris suburb, setting fire to cars and garbage cans after a peaceful demonstration In pictures: Fears of French Gaza spillover grow after 'anti-semitic' riot in Paris suburb France, Paris Police block the entrance of a street in Sarcelles, a Paris suburb, after clashes erupted between pro-Palestinian protesters and police at the end of a demonstration against violence in the Gaza strip In pictures: Fears of French Gaza spillover grow after 'anti-semitic' riot in Paris suburb France, Paris Riot police officers walk in the street of Sarcelles, during clashes with rioters, following a pro-Palestinian demonstration, in Sarcelles, north of Paris In pictures: Fears of French Gaza spillover grow after 'anti-semitic' riot in Paris suburb France, Paris A rioter throws a stone towards riot police following a pro-Palestinians demonstration, in Sarcelles, north of Paris In pictures: Fears of French Gaza spillover grow after 'anti-semitic' riot in Paris suburb France, Paris French police officers charge rioters on the tramway line in Sarcelles, a suburb north of Paris, after clashes following a demonstration denouncing Israel's military campaign in Gaza and showing support to the Palestinian people In pictures: Fears of French Gaza spillover grow after 'anti-semitic' riot in Paris suburb France, Paris Burning detritus is seen along the tramway line in Sarcelles, a suburb north of Paris In pictures: Fears of French Gaza spillover grow after 'anti-semitic' riot in Paris suburb France, Paris French riot police (CRS) vans are lined up in Sarcelles, a suburb north of Paris, during clashes following a demonstration denouncing Israel's military campaign in Gaza and showing support to the Palestinian people In pictures: Fears of French Gaza spillover grow after 'anti-semitic' riot in Paris suburb France, Paris A protester throws a stone as he clashes with police in Sarcelles, a suburb of Paris, during a demonstration to denounce Israel's military campaign in Gaza and show their support for the Palestinian people

The situation is worse in France, where Jewish families are reportedly fleeing after a rise in violent attacks, including the vandalising and looting of Jewish businesses in the Sarcelles district of Paris after a pro-Palestinian rally.

The CST’s report of anti-Semitic incidents in 2014 had been promising, finding that the total of 529 was almost 20 per cent down on 2012.

The charity provides guidance on anti-Semitism to authorities and offers security services and training to Jewish organistions.

Even when the current conflict in Gaza comes to an end, Mr Gardner believes the current of anti-Semitism will continue.

“Some of those anti-Israel and anti-Zionist passions found their physical outlet against Jewish targets, as they always do,” he said.