Three men have been arrested on suspicion of racially aggravated criminal damage and inciting racial hatred following an incident in Church Street last night.

Officers were called to reports of a group trying to remove and set fire to Union flags in Church Street, Twickenham just after 6pm last night

It's alleged they had made remarks about the ongoing conflict in Israel and Gaza.

In a statement on social media Cllr Gareth Roberts, leader of Richmond Council said: "My thanks to our local police teams for dealing with this swiftly and effectively.

"Hate speech and associated actions of any kind have no place on the streets of our borough."

In a further statement, the Met Police said: "They were taken into custody where they remain for questioning."

"Anyone who witnessed the incident, who has video footage or photos, or who can assist the investigation in any way is asked to call 101, giving the reference 5975/23OCT."