Prominent members of the Muslim community have called on the borough to unite against hate crime following yesterday's terror attack in Woolwich.

The Islam community was quick to condemn yesterday’s attack on the man, who eyewitnesses claim was hacked to death by two men shouting ‘Allahu Akbar’ (God is great).

Two men remain under arrest in hospital after being shot by police.

A passerby filmed one man with bloodied hands saying he carried out the attack because British soldiers 'kill Muslims every day'.

But local Muslim figures figures have sought to unite the community after mosques were attacked in Gillingham and Braintree last night, while the English Defence League (EDL) clashed with police in Woolwich.

Aslan Hansa, a member of the Noor-Ul-Islam Trust in High Road, Leyton, said: “The incident has turned our stomachs. We feel privileged in Waltham Forest, we see very little trouble.

“But the actions of a minority puts a spotlight on a whole community. There’s a fear of more tension. We're treading on eggshells here.

"It was fantastic last year when everyone came together to reject the EDL. We must hope people can unite like that again."

Hundreds turned out to block the EDL's first march in Walthamstow with a counter-demonstration and the Guardian joined a campaign with Waltham Forest Council to ban them from another.

The campaign was successful and the EDL was forced to back down.

Vice chairman of the Waltham Forest Race Equality Council, Afzal Malik, added his voice to calls for the community to remain calm.

He said: “I totally condemn it, it is a horrendous attack. They disgust me. All Muslims here are in shock.

“But I’m very worried about the reaction there could be. I appeal to the Muslim community to be calm and peaceful.

“We have great cultural relations in our borough but this tests them.

"It’s scary and I hope nothing happens, Waltham Forest is a strong community of all races and creeds. I hope there is no reaction.”

Khalid Malik, of the Waltham Forest Islamic Association, said Muslims across the borough will denounce the attacks in their Friday prayers.

He said: “The perpetrators are not Muslim. They cannot use our religion to mask their crimes. On Friday more than 3,000 Muslims will raise their hands to condemn the incident. It was brutal and unacceptable.”