UK: Reports of racist incidents rise post-Brexit

LONDON (AA) – Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has urged police “to be extra vigilant” for any rise in cases of hate crime in London on Monday following the U.K. vote in favor of a Brexit.

Various reports, from social media or newspapers, have indicated a potential increase in instances of hostility towards immigrants in the U.K. since Friday.

London’s mayor Sadiq Khan urged the community to stand together to defend London’s diversity.

"So it's really important we stand guard against any rise in hate crimes or abuse by those who might use last week's referendum as cover to seek to divide us,” Khan has stated in an appearance with Metropolitan Police Commissioner Bernard Hogan-Howe. “We will have a zero tolerance approach to any attempt to hurt and divide our communities."

Hundreds of social media users have shared posts documenting “xenophobic” incidents in the country following the referendum decision on Thursday. A Facebook page “Worrying signs” documenting alleged incidents has been created.

A graffiti -- “F... off” according to British media -- was sprayed on the doors of the Polish Social and Cultural Association (POSK) in Hammersmith, West London, on Sunday.

“We are shocked and deeply concerned by the recent incidents of xenophobic abuse directed against the Polish community and other UK residents of migrant heritage,” officials of the Polish embassy said in a statement published Monday.

Hammersmith police announced on their Twitter account that they were increasing patrols in the area following the Polish center incident.

Moreover, on the day of the EU referendum, “Leave the EU, no more Polish vermin” leaflets were allegedly distributed in Cambridgeshire, located north of London, said police.

"Any reports of hate crime in the county will be fully investigated and it is vitally important that anyone who has received these leaflets or suffered similar abuse reports it," Cambridgeshire police said on Sunday regarding the incident.

The Leave campaign has been blamed for putting immigration at the center of their argument for Brexit. One of the most prominent figures of the Leave campaign, Conservative MP and former mayor of London Boris Johnson urged Brexit voters to "build bridges" on Monday in an effort to ease the tension.