Tory shadow justice secretary Nick Timothy today declared he 'hates' the niqab and burqa as he compared Muslim face coverings to a 'ball and chain'.

Addressing a fringe event at the Conservative conference in Birmingham, Mr Timothy said the wearing of the religious garments was 'harmful' to wider society.

Mr Timothy also said state-funded schools mandating the wearing of the hijab - a headscarf that covers the hair, neck and ears but not the face - was a breach of equality law.

But he failed to say whether the Tories would support a ban on Islamic face veils, such as the niqab and the burqa, as part of a policy review under party leader Kemi Badenoch.

Mr Timothy, the MP for West Suffolk, conceded that the debate over face coverings was 'very tricky because we are an open society and we should want people to be able to make their own choices'.

But, speaking to former Tory Cabinet minister Michael Gove at an event hosted by The Spectator, he added: 'I hate the niqab and burqa.

'I've said before, when I see a woman wear it out I see a human being with a ball and chain. It's a deliberate choice to cut women off from society.' 

'I think the harm caused by that is not just to the woman involved, as considerable as that may be. It's actually harmful to all of us because I think it's really bad for social trust.'

Mr Timothy continued: 'If you live in a community where lots of people are covering their faces, it isn't even in the direct exchanges you have, you are living among people who are cutting themselves off from you.

'I think that deliberate manifestation of difference and refusal to engage is just really, really damaging.

'We're doing some work now, I can't jump the gun with party policy and I genuinely don't know where we will end up.

'But some countries in Europe have banned the burqa in public places.'

It has previously been reported that Mr Timothy and Chris Philp, the shadow home secretary, are 'looking closely' at the merits of a ban on burqas as part of a review of Islamism.

Mr Timothy, who previously worked in Downing Street as Theresa May's co-chief of staff,  also told the event there were 'questions about the hijab in schools and, in particular, in primary schools'.

He pointed to a recent row over Barnet Hill Academy, a formerly independent Islamic faith school in north London, requiring female pupils to wear white hijabs from Year 3.

The school's uniform code, available on its website, states that wearing a hijab is 'not a requirement for any non-Muslim students attending the school'.

But Mr Timothy suggested this would still represent a 'breach of equality law' and 'shouldn't be allowed' as it could discriminate 'against those who wouldn't want to wear it'.

A spokesman for Labour-run Barnet Council has previously said: 'As part of the due diligence process, Barnet Council discussed the uniform requirements with the school.

'Barnet Hill Academy was clear that this does not apply to non-Muslim pupils, and this has been made clear in its online uniform policy.

'The uniform policy is in line with other faith schools in Barnet that set uniform requirements informed by religious practice.

'The school is also clear that it does not insist Muslim girls wear the hijab apart from during acts of worship.'

The school's website adds: 'Barnet Hill Academy's uniform and Islamic dress code are closely aligned with our school ethos which aims at directing our children towards Islamic values and norms.

'As such, we apply the terms uniform and Islamic dress interchangeably as our students, particularly KS2, are engaged in acts of worship, congregational prayer, recitation of the Quran and many other acts which fall within the bounds of Islam, Islamic worship and rituals.

'The school recognises that our pupils and families come from different backgrounds and may hold different beliefs.

'Our aim is to maintain the distinctive Islamic character of Barnet Hill Academy while ensuring that all pupils feel valued, respected and included.'