A road sign which appears to warn "beware of Jews" has appeared near a synagogue in north London.
An artist whose road sign art project was mistaken for an anti-Semitic hate crime has apologised for causing offence.
The warning triangle, which was spotted by a neighbourhood watch group on a lamppost in Stamford Hill, depicts the silhouette of an orthodox Jewish man wearing a traditional fedora hat.
Franck Allais placed the red triangle sign - which depicted the silhouette of an orthodox Jewish man - on a lamppost in Stamford Hill, close to a synagogue.
Shomrim NE London said the sign had caused "alarm and distress" among the Jewish community.
The sign provoked complaints from a Jewish community group - who reported it to police - and local MPs.
There was also suggestion among locals the sign was part of a prank, however.
Mr Allais told BBC News he "completely regretted" any offence caused.
BBC London understands that similar warnings featuring the silhouettes of an elderly lady and an obese man have also been spotted in the area.
The artist, who is from Paris, but has lived in east London for 16 years, placed 27 signs around London.
Shomrim announced it had reported one of the signs, which was seen in Forburg Road, to police on Tuesday evening.
They featured silhouetted figures including shoppers and animals.
Barry Bard, from the group, said it was the first known sighting of such a sign, which had caused alarm in the local community due to its meticulous planning.
His work provoked outrage when neighbourhood watch group Shomrim NE London spotted one of the signs 200m from a synagogue on Forburg Road on Tuesday evening.
He said: "The people of Stamford Hill are very sadly used to instances of anti-Semitic hate crime, but most of those times it will be verbal abuse or even assault.
It suggested the sign meant "Beware of the Jew" and said it had caused "alarm and distress" among the Jewish community.
"The person who planned [this sign] has obviously gone to an effort to cause alarm and distress to local people."
But Mr Allais said the work was based on photographs he had taken.
BBC Radio London reporter Jonathan Savage, who went to the scene, said some members of the local Jewish community he had spoken to "weren't as concerned".
"I take pictures around me of people crossing the road," he said.
Two men described the outraged reaction as a "storm in a teacup", he said.
Mr Allais said he believed red warning triangles did not have a "bad" meaning, but rather advised motorists to "take care" of the item depicted.
Shadow home secretary and MP for Hackney North Diane Abbott said it was "disgusting" and "unacceptable", while Labour's MP for Tottenham David Lammy said it amounted to "despicable, nasty behaviour that has absolutely no place in our community".
Shadow Home Secretary and MP for Hackney North Diane Abbott said it was "disgusting" and "unacceptable", while Labour's MP for Tottenham David Lammy said it amounted to "despicable, nasty behaviour that has absolutely no place in our community".
Hackney Council estimates there are about 30,000 Charedi Jews in Stamford Hill, the largest community in Europe.
Hackney Council estimates there are about 30,000 Charedi Jews in Stamford Hill, the largest community in Europe.
Concerns over the sign came following a rise in anti-Semitic incidents in 2016.
Figures compiled by the Community Security Trust (CST), which monitors anti-Semitism, showed there were 1,309 incidents in the UK in 2016, compared with a previous high of 1,182 two years earlier.
The charity works with the police to gather data on hate crime. Of the total for 2016, 813 anti-Semitic incidents were in Greater London.
