Peers have highlighted flaws in the government's plans to tackle race hate and religious crimes.

A cross-party committee in the House of Lords warned that plans by home secretary David Blunkett to change the laws on religious offences are "likely to run into profound controversy".

Peers raised concerns about both the potential threat to freedom of expression posed by the new legislation and the problem that the standards of proof needed to make a conviction would be too great for the police to achieve.

The review covers old common law offences, such as blasphemy, and statutory offences like the Ecclesiastical Courts Jurisdiction Act of 1860.

"Religions play a vital role in our society and there should be a degree of protection equally available to all faiths, but there is no consensus among us on the precise form that that protection might take," said Viscount Colville of Culross who chaired the inquiry.

"The introduction of a bill to deal with any, or all of these issues is likely to run into profound controversy, despite the pressure to take action on incitement to religious hatred."