A policeman was injured in an explosion after an arson attack on a synagogue in the French seaside resort of La Grande-Motte on Saturday morning.

The officer was rushed to hospital in nearby Montpelier after being knocked to the ground in the blast at about 8.40am local time as he was securing the perimeter of the building.

He was among firefighters, police and gendarmes who rushed to the fire at the Beth Yaacov synagogue after two cars were torched outside it.

A gas canister was found in one of the two cars. No other injuries have yet been reported in the attack, which has led to bolstered security at Jewish sites in the region.

Gerald Darmanin, the interior minister, said: “An attempted arson attack, clearly criminal, hit the synagogue of La Grande Motte this morning.

“I want to assure our Jewish fellow citizens and the municipality of my full support and say that at the request of the president of the Republic Emmanuel Macron, all means are being mobilised to find the perpetrator.”

Local media reported an intruder had broken into the synagogue, while CCTV showed an individual leaving the scene shortly before the incident.

Police are hunting the suspect as firefighters battle the fire in the tourist hotspot, which attracts two million holidaymakers every year.

An investigating source said: “There was at least one violent explosion, and flames touched the door of the synagogue.

“A gas bottle was clearly stored in one of two cars parked directly outside the synagogue, and that’s what caused the explosion. A policeman who attempted to secure the area was badly injured and rushed to hospital.”

Hussein Bourgi, a senator for the Herault region, offered “all my solidarity” to the Jewish community in La Grande-Motte, which has a population of about 8,500.

“The synagogue of La Grande-Motte is on fire. It appears to be arson and criminal in nature,” he said.

“I denounce in the strongest terms the events that took place this morning at the synagogue in La Grande-Motte. I have asked the police and gendarmes to strengthen the security of Jewish interests in the department,” Francois-Xavier Lauch, the prefect of the Herault region, said.

Hate crimes against Jews rise

France has the largest Jewish community in Western Europe and the biggest outside Israel and the US but hate crimes against Jews are on the rise.

Tensions have risen since the Oct 7 terror attacks on Israel and the subsequent war on Hamas in Gaza.

According to government figures, 366 anti-Semitic acts were recorded between January and March this year, marking a 300 per cent increase compared to the same period the year before.

Earlier this year, French police shot dead an armed man who set fire to a synagogue in the city of Rouen, Normandy.