Sexist criminals could get longer sentences under plans to make misogyny a type of hate crime.

Senior officers are considering whether to count misogynistic offences among hate crimes, which would mean longer sentences for perpetrators found to have acted out of hatred for women.

Currently crimes where a victim has been targeted on the grounds of characteristics including their race, sexuality or disability can be made aggravated offences and the perpetrators given longer sentences, but gender is not one of these categories.

A pilot taking place in Nottingham since last year is due to report back to police chiefs who will consider whether to make wider changes affecting the rest of the country.

Speaking to the Women and Equalities Committee, assistant chief constable Mark Hamilton, who leads on hate crime for the National Police Chiefs' Council, said he believed the police were "going to take this forward" although it would also require action from the courts and CPS.

In 2014 the Law Commission published a report recommending that the "scope" of hate crime be examined to see whether further categories should be introduced.

It recommended that a "full-scale review is conducted of the operation of the aggravated offences and of the enhanced sentencing system".