A man has been handed a 12-month suspended sentence for sticking antisemitic posters to the outside of a Chabad synagogue.

Shehroz Iqbal, 27, pleaded guilty to displaying written material that is “threatening, abusive or insulting, intending thereby to stir up racial hatred”, contrary to the Public Order Act.

At Snaresbrook Crown Court on Friday he was sentenced to 12 months in prison, suspended for two years, 30 days’ rehabilitation activity, 60 hours of unpaid work and a £100 fine for breaching a previous sentence.

On the evening of March 17 2017, Iqbal, who was dressed in camouflage and a hoody, taped the posters to the walls of an underpass near Gants Hill underground station, in Redbridge, east London.

A member of the public then saw Iqbal, of Kenwood Gardens in Ilford, walk towards the nearby Chabad Lubavitch Centre, to which he attached more antisemitic posters.

By the time officers arrived he had already fled, but the posters were removed and “forensically examined and subsequently linked to Iqbal,” police said.

Detectives arrested him at his home the following March.

He later admitted the offences during police questioning.

Commander Richard Smith, head of the Met’s Counter Terrorism Command, said: “The slogans on the posters Iqbal was displaying were clearly intended to stir up racial hatred towards the Jewish community.

“Police quickly responded to the situation and carried out a thorough investigation, resulting in the arrest and prosecution of Iqbal.

“I praise the actions of the member of public who swiftly reported the incident to police. By people coming forward with such information we can act to quickly resolve a situation, as we have done here.

“The Met is committed to tackling hate crime in all its forms and this investigation shows our determination to pursue those who seek to sow racial hate and division within London’s communities.

“I want to reassure the Jewish community, and indeed, all of London’s communities, that we take such offences extremely seriously and will strive to identify and bring those responsible to justice.”

The Metropolitan Police urged anyone witnessing suspicious behaviour to contact Action Counters Terrorism (ACT) at www.gov.uk/ACT, or the confidential Anti-Terrorist Hotline on 0800 789 321.