IT is feared that the number of racist incidents in Redbridge has risen since the London terror attacks.

While no official figures for the period since July 7 have been published, the Redbridge Race Equality Council (RREC) has been hearing of a higher than usual number of incidents, some of which have seen offenders making reference to the attacks.

The concerns were raised at a meeting of the Redbridge Police Community Consultative Group by RREC officer David Landau.

Mr Landau said: "There have been ten to 15 incidents that are in the aftermath of the bombs. Some are very definite, some are someone who has been harassed in the past. Things have quietened down, but when she has been out people have shouted at her."

Barkingside High Street was mentioned as one problem area for incidents.

Mr Landau said: "We're not talking fire-bombing of mosques or people being hospitalised, but I think the racist incident statistics will be considerably higher in the next quarter (than for the period from April to June)."

An RREC report said: "There is a danger of increased community tensions and racist attacks. The RREC is monitoring this situation and encouraging organisations across the borough to report matters to the police and ourselves."

During the meeting a representative from Ilford Synagogue revealed that a number of rabbis had been racially abused on their way to and from the place of worship. Last week the Guardian reported a racist assault by a mob on four Jewish people, including two rabbis, in Gants Hill.

Since the bombings, the police have called a meeting of what is known as the gold group, a group of representatives from religious and faith communties in Redbridge.

Chief Inspector Carl Lin-dley said: "One would anticipate there may well have been an effect (since the bombings). Certainly anecdotally I think they have had an effect.

"Obviously we're concerned that there are community tensions that develop as a result of what is happening. All officers that are on community duties are being tasked with reassurance, we are directing patrols towards particular centres and places of worship with regular patrols to Islamic and Asian places of workship in particular, but also Jewish synagogues.

"We must send out a message of condemnation of these acts, not only from ourselves, but from all community representatives in the borough."

You can contact Ilford police on 8553 3400 and the RREC on 8514 0688.

l The far right British National Party has been campaigning in Redbridge since the attacks. David Landau, from the local anti-facist group Redbridge and Epping Forest Together, said the BNP had been in Hainault and that in response their members were in the area on Sunday urging people to ignore the BNP's message.