Two men have been arrested after video surfaced of a group shouting homophobic abuse at a man in east London.

One member of the group is heard to shout: “Hello mate, don’t you know this is a Muslim area?… Why you dressed like that for? [sic]” while another member of the group shouts: “Homosexual! Homosexual!”

When the victim asks: “Why are you bothering me?” A member of the group responds: “Because you’re walking through a Muslim area dressed like a fag mate. You need to get out of here.”

The man is then described as “dirty” a “fag” and a “mug”.

In a statement released on Tuesday evening, a Metropolitan Police spokesperson said: “We are aware of incidents over the weekend of 12/13 January where a small group of people had harassed members of the public, and of YouTube videos showing this.

“The Metropolitan Police Service takes these incidents very seriously and is pursuing various lines of enquiry with a view to identifying and prosecuting the individuals concerned. The investigation is being coordinated by the Community Safety Unit at Tower Hamlets. Patrols continue across east London to reassure local communities.”

A 22-year-old man was arrested in the Acton area of west London on Sunday and a 19-year-old man was arrested after going to an east London police station on Monday.

The pair were arrested on suspicion of causing grievous bodily harm and public order offences and have been bailed to return to an east London police station in February and March pending further inquiries.