Police in Waltham Forest have released a smartphone image of a man accused of racially harassing two women and branding them as "terrorists".

The man pictured is wanted in connection with racially aggravated harassment following the racist outburst outside Leytonstone Tube station in Grove Green Road on August 20. 

At around 9pm, two Asian women aged in the 30s and 40s, were subjected to neo-Nazi comments by the man pictured. 

According to police, he "gave them a Nazi salute and said 'Heil Hitler'". 

He allegedly said to the women, 'Hitler did the right thing, he got rid of you lot, you invaded our country, he burnt two million of your lot, go back to your country, you are all terrorists'". 

One of the victim's took a snapshot of him on her phone and contacted police. 

The image has been released to the Guardian by the Metropolitan Police as part of a joint venture to identify perpetrators of unsolved crimes. 

Waltham Forest has seen an increase overall in racist and religious hate crimes, with 407 incidents from July 2014 to July 2015, compared to 365 in the previous 12 months. 

Hate crime against Muslims has almost quadrupled during that same period with 37 Islamaphobic incidents as opposed to 10 from July 2013 to July 2014.

Waltham Forest Borough Commander Jackie Sebire refused to comment on the increase across the borough, but the Metropolitan Police attributed the rise on the willingness of victims to report crime and "improved methods of recording crime". 

Anyone who recognises this man is asked to call police on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 quoting reference 4917018/15.