‘STAND UP and stand together’ is the prevailing message from the North-East in the face of post-Brexit racism.

This week, Prime Minister David Cameron condemned a nationwide wave of racist and xenophobic incidents in the wake of the EU referendum.

Figures from the National Police Chiefs’ Council suggested a shocking 57 per cent rise in reported incidents in just three days following the historic vote.

In the North-East, police have linked a number of racist attacks directly to the referendum but say there has been no significant increase in reported hate crime.

Cleveland Police are investigating a physical assault that left a man with a head injury and a verbal attack while North Yorkshire Police are looking into three related incidents.

Following a far-right, anti-immigration ‘Victory March’ in Newcastle, Police and Crime Commissioner Vera Baird said the North-East would not tolerate the “bigoted views of a small minority” and said Northumbria Police would do everything within their powers to prosecute hate crime.

County Durham and Darlington’s Police, Crime and Victims Commissioner Ron Hogg said he was “uneasy” about a reported increase in hate crime and urged victims to come forward.

However, anecdotal evidence gathered from across the North-East suggests many recent victims may not have reported incidents to the police.

On Friday, a man outside a nursery in Sunderland shouted at a child: “The banana boat is coming to take you away.”

Muslim Shay Miah was walking along a Hartlepool beach when a man approached him and told him to pack his bags.

He says: “I was surprised and hurt, this is where I was born.

“I didn’t retaliate, I just ignored him and carried on walking.”

In a similar incident, a young Muslim woman was verbally attacked in Darlington and told to ‘go home’ when campaigning with MP Jenny Chapman days before the referendum.

Ms Chapman said: “I’m deeply shocked and saddened by the vitriol that a minority of residents now feel is acceptable to express openly.

“It’s a minority of people responsible but we need to act now to make sure these kind of traits do not take hold.”

Darlington businessman Mussy Choudhury, who had a bottle thrown at him on Saturday night, says racism is an on-going issue that will inevitably escalate post-Brexit.

Mr Choudhury joined representatives of the town’s Sikh and Polish population, Ms Chapman and charity leaders in urging communities to come together to stand up to racism.

He said: “This is escalating – I was born, bred and work here and don’t see why I have to put up with this behaviour because I’m brown.

“We must live and let live, love, learn and exist together.

“Stand up for each other, support each other and this will get better – it surely can’t get worse.”

"We have not seen an increase in hate incidents since last Friday. Traditionally the number of hate crimes of all types reported in County Durham and Darlington is consistently

very low, however we would actively encourage anyone who feels they have been a victim of hate crime to report it to the police by calling 101 so we can help you.

"In Durham we have an effective reporting system and are in partnership with various agencies across County Durham & Darlington with the aim of increasing reporting and tackling hate crime. We also encourage anyone who would prefer not to report this type of crime directly to us, to use True Vision which is a third party reporting facility."

Kath Sainsbury, project manager at Teesside charity Justice First, said politicians must take responsibility for a “campaign of hostility that has legitimised hatred”.

She said: “I don’t think politicians have thought through the consequences of the hatred they’ve generated.

“Most asylum seekers work so hard to build community trust and cohesive relationships and this has undone years of good work.

“Politicians have thoughtlessly destroyed community relations and must now take responsibility and start giving a positive message about what benefits immigration can bring.”

A spokesman for County Durham and Darlington Police said: "We have not seen an increase in hate incidents since last Friday. Traditionally the number of hate crimes of all types reported in County Durham and Darlington is consistently very low, however we would actively encourage anyone who feels they have been a victim of hate crime to report it to the police by calling 101 so we can help you.

"In Durham we have an effective reporting system and are in partnership with various agencies with the aim of increasing reporting and tackling hate crime. We also encourage anyone who would prefer not to report this type of crime directly to us, to use True Vision which is a third party reporting facility."