The Leader of Havering Council, Councillor Ray Morgon, is calling for residents in the borough to be civil to each other, not create divisions and ensure Havering remains a calm and cohesive borough.
He has also asked residents to respect Havering staff going about their jobs serving the residents of the borough.
He said:
"Havering is a proud and patriotic borough which has always supported communities with few problems, and we want to keep things that way.
"As an Administration, we are also very patriotic and have always flown both the Union Jack and St George’s flag outside the town hall.
"Indeed, we are happy for residents to show this too by proudly flying flags in our streets as long as it is done safely and with respect.
"However, we are starting to see some people connecting patriotism with an opportunity to cause divisions in our communities.
"Nobody should use patriotism as an opportunity or an excuse to spread hate.
"Sadly, some people are also abusing council staff for doing their jobs when all they are doing is serving the residents of the borough.
"We have zero tolerance for that, and these people will be reported to the police.
"We are a proud employer of diverse and committed staff, and it is simply unacceptable that they be racially abused or assaulted when working for Havering residents.
"Havering is a diverse borough, which is why the Council is determined to ensure equality and fairness for all communities and is the reason why I hold a bi-monthly meeting at the Town Hall with Faith Leaders to ensure that good community cohesion continues to take place in Havering”.