A man has been arrested on suspicion of racially aggravated common assault after three Jewish women were reportedly attacked, including one who was pushing a baby in a pram.

The Metropolitan Police said they were called at around 1.40pm on Monday to reports that a man had been detained by Shomrim, a Jewish neighbourhood watch group, after assaulting three Jewish women in the Clapton Common area of London.

Officers attended within minutes and arrested a 33-year-old man on suspicion of racially-aggravated common assault. One of the women allegedly assaulted was pushing her baby in a pram, police said. The women are believed to have suffered minor injuries. Officers are keen to hear from anyone else who may have been assaulted as they investigate the suspected antisemitic hate crime.

The suspect was subsequently further arrested on suspicion of causing grievous bodily harm to a woman, believed to be known to him, in an unrelated incident in the Islington area on Friday. He remains in police custody.

Chief Inspector Erica Crawshaw of the Metropolitan Police said: "This was an alarming and distressing incident and we are grateful to our partners in the Shomrim for detaining a suspect prior to the arrival of officers.

"We have launched an investigation and would ask that anyone with information that could help police, or any victims who have not yet come forward, contact us as soon as possible. "Antisemitic behaviour and hate crime of any kind will not be tolerated.

"We recognise the concern that this incident will have caused the Jewish community here in Hackney. We have increased patrols in the area and we are speaking to community leaders to provide further reassurance."