Talks on race hate on the internet are being held between an American human rights organisation and Scotland Yard.

The Simon Wiesenthal Center, a Jewish group, which reviews 25,000 websites a month, says many promote racism and terrorism, including about 25 in the UK.

Dr Cooper is meeting Scotland Yard officials

Representatives are in London to meet senior police officers on Thursday, amid home office concern about the problem.

It is hoped this will help the police improve tracking and teach them the tactics used by offending websites.

Dr Abraham Cooper, attending the meeting on behalf of the centre, told BBC News: "We have the full spectrum, from overt promotion of suicide bombing to hate games."

Hate games

He said there were two or three dozen hate games including one called ethnic cleansing where the aim was to "destroy the local group of your choice".

"And then the more traditional extreme groups on both sides of the Atlantic are trying to utilise and harness the internet technology in order to recruit, especially among young people," he continued.

Dr Cooper said many of the websites are channelled through the US because the American constitution's first amendment, and its enshrinment of free speech, prevents police action unless it leads to a criminal action.

"Since we see the internet being used to promote terrorism, violence and mayhem, the ante has been upped.

"It's not just the theoretical question about speech - it's the law enforcement that's the main focus for this visit."

A Metropolitan Police spokesman told BBC News Online: "A number of issues are going to be discussed, including the way race hate crime is investigated."