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A boy of three is among ­hundreds of children being ­investigated by ­police amid a surge in hate crimes .

Figures obtained by the Sunday People under Freedom of Information laws ­reveal 138 youngsters aged 10 or under were ­reported for racial or religious abuse last year.

This compared with 70 in 2011.

Among the cases were two girls aged six accused of punching their victim in a racist attack.

A nine-year-old boy allegedly told a ­classmate “My dad told me not to sit next to Jews” and the boy of three was quizzed by police in Manchester for causing ­harassment, alarm or distress to his victim.

The findings come after a week in which reports of hate crimes rose dramatically in the wake of the EU referendum .

Shocking footage emerged of three youths shouting “Get back to Africa” at a man on a Manchester tram. Suspects aged 16, 18 and 20 were arrested.

Anti-racism charities say it could only be because of ­parents warping children’s minds and breeding an ­intolerant generation.

Former shadow police minister Jack Dromey said: “The rise in acts of hate by children is truly shocking.

“What kind of country are we ­becoming if ­children of those with a different ­colour skin or a ­foreign accent or ­because they are Muslims or Jews fear for their safety in ­primary school?

"Children are influenced by grown-ups and those who have peddled the politics of hatred and ­xenophobia should be ashamed.

“My message to Nigel Farage and Boris Johnson is there is nothing British about hate.”

As only 37 of 43 police forces in England and Wales responded to our Freedom of Information request, the number of incidents that took place last years is likely to be even higher than 138.

Children under 11 are too young to be prosecuted but the ­crimes are still recorded.

A spokesman for charity Hope Not Hate said: “Both the children and the victims need support. It’s hard to generalise but the role of parental or guardian responsibility plays a strong part in child development and then subsequent actions of that child.”

Among the hate crimes recorded in Cheshire was one involving a four-year-old girl reported to police for yelling ­homophobic and anti-Semitic abuse.

The same force investigated an eight-year-old girl accused of a two-year hate campaign against a female.

In West Yorkshire, boys aged seven and eight were reported for pushing and kicking their victim while hurling racist taunts.

Officers in the same county probed a hate crime involving a nine-year-old boy accused of endangering life in an arson attack.

Humberside Police investigated an assault involving a boy of eight who told his victim to “go back to Poland”

In Norfolk there was an alleged racist attack by a boy of nine.

Another nine-year-old boy in Cambridge was questioned for spitting at a Hungarian and yelling: “This is our country, go home.”

Devon and Cornwall Police ­investigated cases involving a boy of five accused of ­common assault and a boy of nine accused of yelling racial abuse while wielding a knife.

In the same region, a boy of eight spouted abuse at his victim, saying they would “kill us all” ­because of their faith.

(Image: Greater Manchester Police/PA)

Mussurut Zia of the Muslim Women’s Network said: “These children are victims ­themselves. They’re taking on attitudes from grown-ups.Children need to be ­given a greater awareness of other cultures so we stop breeding intolerance.”

The National Association of Headteachers wants the Government to tackle the blight by stressing that schoolchildren from the EU remain welcome here.

General Secretary Russell Hobby said pupils from migrant families were fearful and needed reassurance. Last year an online video gave a ­disturbing glimpse of how parents turn their young into little racists.

It showed three girls aged between five and seven singing “If you all hate p**** clap your hands” to the tune of a children’s song.

Assistant Chief Constable Mark Hamilton, of the National Police Chiefs’ Council, described such behaviour as ­unacceptable. But he added “children are children first” and offenders would be dealt with “in an appropriate way”.

Victims of hate crime should call police on 101 or use the True Vision website at report-it.org.uk/home

Sick attacks by under-10s

Sickening details of race hate crimes by children aged ten or under in just one police area have been revealed.

Greater Manchester Police said that In one attack, three children threw stones and water bombs at their victim’s house.

A force spokesman said the children shouted: “Come on, f***ing P***.”

In another assault, a child kicked a victim in the face and chest while calling the person a “f***ing s***bag”.

Greater Manchester officers also investigated a child for racially abusing and chasing someone, then stealing his football.

The thief later returned the ball – but said they had urinated over it.

In another shock, a gang of children asked a group of migrants: “Are you Polish?”

When one replied “No”, one of the children shouted: “Another f***ing Lithuanian.”

The children then threw orange juice over the migrants and shouted further xenophobic insults.

The police spokesman said the force had withheld the children’s gender and exact ages to help to protect their identities.

Alarm over Nazi salutes in the classroom

Racism in the classroom is rising, with scores of teachers contacting charities for help in curbing pupils’ hatred.

Zak Cochrane, of Stand Up To Racism, said: “We have been told about children giving Nazi salutes and making anti-Semitic comments. The n-word and p-word are also used and this has to stop.

“One of the biggest issues is children sharing or writing Islamophobic or racist comments on social media. This spiked after the Paris attacks.

"We also hear from staff raising concerns that children are being negatively influenced by the all too common scapegoating of migrants, ­Muslims and refugees in politics.

“Frequent negative reporting of these groups creates distorted images and can sow the seeds of hatred and division.

“At the last general election, when immigration was regularly discussed, particularly by Ukip, we were getting many reports of children making anti-migrant comments in the classroom, suggesting the migrants ‘should all go back home’.

“One Essex school did a mock election before last May and Ukip came top.”

National Union of Teachers acting ­general secretary Kevin Courtney said: “We will circulate advice about effective ­anti-racist resources and strategies.”