Dorset police have launched an investigation and stepped up patrols for Bournemouth’s Jewish community after a wave of antisemitic hate crimes in the seaside town.

Over the weekend, a teenage boy was shot with an air rifle and injured, and swastika graffiti appeared on buildings, police said.

Two people were walking along a street in the East Cliff neighbourhood on Saturday afternoon when a passing driver instigated a verbal altercation before shooting the teenager in the forehead. The unnamed boy is said to be well, but with swelling to the forehead.

There were at least four reports that the Nazi swastika symbol had appeared on walls and homes overnight on Friday, including the house of a local rabbi, Bentzion Alperowitz.

Alperowitz noticed the swastika on the side of his house when he was heading to synagogue on Saturday morning with his two daughters, aged seven and 10.

He told the Jewish Chronicle that the graffito was “very upsetting and alarming” but he refused to be cowed by the incident. “We will continue to live as proud Jews here in Bournemouth … I want to encourage everyone to do exactly the same,” he added.

Members of the local Jewish community, which numbers about 1,600 people, quickly helped the family clean off the swastika, the rabbi said.

In a statement, Dorset police said they took hate crime extremely seriously. A full investigation was under way to identify those responsible, they said, and the public have been encouraged to approach officers carrying out inquiries in the area or on patrol with any information or concerns.

According to the Jewish security charity Community Security Trust, reports of antisemitic incidents have soared across the UK since the 7 October 2023 Hamas attack and ensuing war in Gaza.

Between October 2023 and October 2024, there were 5,583 incidents around the country, including abusive behaviour, threats, assaults, damage and desecration – a 204% year-on-year increase.