A man behind a red-triangle in London’s Stamford Hill warning sign depicting the silhouette of an Orthodox Jewish man has apologised for causing offence. Jewish watch group Shomrim had reported the incident as a hate crime.

Stamford Hill is with Antwerp one of the largest Hasidic communities in Europe

Franck Allais, a freelance photographer, said the contentious sign was part of an artistic project, which includes depictions of a woman pulling a shopping trolley, a man pushing his wheelchair and a cat.

Allais said he intended the project to be a comment on identity and that the sign was not an anti-Semitic statement. He said he was left shaken by the offence he had caused.

Shomrime and Hackney Council, said it had caused “alarm and distress to local people”.