Tabloid newspapers including The Sun and Daily Mail have come under fire for “hate speech” headlines that “encourage prejudice” in a report by a European human rights body that also calls for a change to the editors’ code.

The European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI), part of the Council of Europe, has raised concerns that “hate speech in some traditional media, particularly tabloid newspapers, continues to be a problem”.

Its latest report, published this week, was prepared following a visit to the UK in November 2015 and takes account of developments between 2009 and March this year.