British police on Friday launched an investigation into alleged anti-Semitic hate crimes in the opposition Labour Party, whose leadership has faced criticism about the way it has handled complaints by Jewish groups.
London's Metropolitan Police said Commissioner Cressida Dick had been given a folder of documents in September, including alleged evidence of anti-Semitic hate crimes.
"The contents have been examined by specialist officers," a police statement said. "A criminal investigation has commenced into some of the allegations within the documentation."
Dick told BBC Radio the allegations relate to an online crime.
In response, Labour issued a statement saying the party has "a robust system for investigating complaints of alleged breaches of Labour Party rules by its members.
"Where someone feels they have been a victim of crime, they should report it to the police in the usual way."
Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has faced criticism for his handling of complaints about anti-Semitism in his party. Earlier this year, he acknowledged anti-Semitism had surfaced in the party and apologized for the pain this had caused.
Jewish leaders have described his response as a "disappointing missed opportunity."
Labour's deputy leader Tom Watson said the allegations are "thoroughly depressing, although sadly I'm not surprised."
"If people have committed hate crimes, then they need to be dealt with by the full force of the law. There's no role for them in the Labour Party," he told BBC Radio.
A report in February by the Community Security Trust, a charity that provides security advice to the country's Jewish communities, said anti-Jewish sentiment was becoming more commonplace in Britain.
It said publicity about alleged anti-Jewish sentiment in the Labour Party had been partly to blame for a record number of anti-Semitic incidents in Britain last year.
