More than a third of anti-Semitic incidents recorded in London in the first half of this year took place in Barnet, according to a new report.

Jewish security charity the CST recorded a total of 224 anti-Semitic incidents in Greater London from January to June 2015, a 54 per cent increase on the first six months of 2014.

Barnet, which has the largest Jewish population in the country, saw a total of 78 incidents – compared to 48 in the same period last year.

Of these incidents, 61 were of abusive behaviour, six were violent assaults, four were of damage and desecration to Jewish property, six were threats and one was of mass mailed anti-Semitic literature.

A CST spokesman said some of the cases were related to the planned rally in Golders Green on July 4, although “not a large chunk”.

The demonstration was eventually moved to Whitehall by the Metropolitan Police.

Overall, the CST recorded a total of 473 anti-Semitic incidents across the UK in the first six months of 2015 – a 53 per cent increase compared to the same period in 2014.

In a report, the charity said it was “likely” the primary reason for the increase is a rise in reporting of such incidents by victims and witnesses, due to an “increase in Jewish communal concern about anti-Semitism.”

Although January and February were marked by terrorist attacks against Jewish communities in Paris and Copenhagen, the CST said the incidents did not include a significant number making reference to those attacks, nor did they “spike” in immediate response.

The CST said there was a gradual rise in the number of incidents reported after the terrorist attack on a kosher supermarket in Paris on January 9, which was maintained throughout February and tailed away in March.

The report says: “This gradual rise is therefore more likely to be an indirect response to the heightened media focus on anti-Semitism and the UK Jewish community during that period, rather than being fuelled by anti-Semitic reactions to the terrorist attacks.”

Most of the increase came in the first three months of the year, with 106 incidents in January, 86 in February and 81 in March.

A total of 73 incidents took place in April, 56 in May and 71 in June.

David Delew, chief executive of the CST, said: “We welcome the apparent increase in the reporting of anti-Semitic incidents, but we regret the concern and the anxiety about anti-Semitism that this reflects, and we will continue to work with the police, the Government and other partners to reduce anti-Semitism and to protect our Jewish community.”