Over the past couple of weeks in some parts of East London stickers have been placed declaring it a "Gay Free Zone."  These stickers have been posted close to gay pubs and clubs around the area with a message that says: "Arise and warn. Gay Free Zone. Verily Allah is severe in Punishment."

Tower Hamlets council has been working towards making the borough  a LGBT friendly area and now residents are saying these stickers are a warning that Islamic extremists have not gone away from the streets. According recent police figures a homophobic crime is committed at the rate of more than 5 a month.

Some people of the Shoreditch/Whitechapel area say that the stickers were put up by members of Islam4UK which has been accused of being a front for the banned Al Mahajaroun group.

The Muslim Council of Britain has released this statement regaurding the stickers: "We stand frimly against discrimination or violence of any people. These stickers are wrong and not in keeping with our Islamic teaching of respecting our neighbours."

Finally, Tower Hamlets has said this: “We work hard to actively foster a climate of acceptance and tolerance, and combat all forms of discrimination and harassment within the borough. We are appalled by the actions of those who have produced and posted these stickers. We treat issues like this very seriously, and these incidents are being investigated by the borough’s Hate Crime Team who are working alongside the local police."

What do you make of this story? Do you feel there is more homophobia out there or this incident a one-off? Have your say!