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A man who was attacked near a mosque in east London was the victim of a hate crime, police have said.

Three men made Islamophobic comments from inside a blue Ford Fiesta in Whitechapel before one man got out and attacked the 27-year-old victim with a blunt object.

He was treated for head injuries in hospital and has since been discharged.

Det Ch Insp Sean Channing described the assault, in Cannon Street Road on 15 March, as a "horrible hate crime".

He said: "Whilst there were initial Islamophobic comments made by this group towards the individual which are being treated seriously, I would like to make clear that at no point did the group approach any mosque or congregation in the area.

"There is no evidence to suggest that the mosque near the area was the intended target."

The three men are described as white and thought to be in their 20s.

Correction 28 March 2019: An earlier version of this article reported that the attack took place outside a mosque and has been amended to make clear that it happened nearby.