"Clearly a broad area is being targeted by these lunatics," she wrote. She told Fairfax: "It's a real mix of middle class people and Muslims and migrants and some drug abusers and some rough stuff, but no one I know in this area has ever seen anti-Muslim stuff. I think it's as much a scare campaign as it is a recruitment tool." The woman said she had been "greatly saddened" to have to explain to her young son what the stickers meant, and reported the stickers to police and the Banyule Council. On Monday, another mother reported discovering Combat 18 stickers at the park. She removed the stickers and reported the find to the Islamophobia Register Australia, but the stickers had returned by Tuesday. Similar material has been posted at the Bell Street Mall in West Heidelberg, and outside the religious centre at Monash University's Clayton campus.

Islamophobia Register founder Mariam Veiszadeh said it was "really disturbing" to learn that people were distributing hate material in a children's playground. "We are particularly concerned about the discovery of such material at a playground frequented by children from a variety of ethnically diverse backgrounds," she said. "Islamophobia has devastating consequences for the entire community but its impact on children and young people, whom are particularly vulnerable, is quite worrying. Such sentiments would no doubt impact upon their sense of identity and self worth. "We have recently heard about a few examples of alleged incidents of bullying and prejudiced statements being made against Muslim students in schools. It begs the question - what role do we adults play in fostering an environment in which bigotry and prejudice can flourish?" Banyule City Council Mayor Craig Langdon said it was "extremely disappointing to see groups like this peddling their hatred in Banyule or anywhere else."

"Banyule, and Heidelberg West in particular, is a culturally diverse community where people live together harmoniously. Apart from being utterly offensive, it is illegal to post stickers or posters on public property. "We have asked our Parks staff to check all parks and remove any stickers or posters of this nature. I also commend these women and others in the community who are similarly outraged and help by removing these materials when they see them." Combat 18, also known as Blood and Honour, is a white supremacist skinhead group that devotes itself to "saving the white race", and combating the "Zionist media" and "hip hop culture". The "18" in its name originates from Adolf Hitler's initials, with A and H being the first and eighth letters in the alphabet. The group began in the United Kingdom, but has since spread to other countries. In 2010, members of the group were charged over their part in a drive-by shooting outside a Perth mosque.

The group has a strict no-media policy, and its website says that all media requests for comment will be ignored. Anti-Islam and anti-racism protesters are again planning to clash in counter rallies, this time at the site of the proposed Bendigo mosque, which got the green light The rivals were involved in protests in Melbourne on July 18, which saw violent scuffles break out and Victoria Police deploy more than 400 police officers, use capsicum spay and condemn the behaviour of both groups. The mosque planned for the outskirts of Bendigo survived a legal challenge from about 15 Bendigo residents earlier this month, when the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal upheld its planning permit. The far-right United Patriots Front, Australian Defence League and others have vowed to protest against the mosque.

One of the UPF's organisers, Neil Erikson, posted a graphic video to social media - which was quickly removed, but captured by anti-racism campaigners - showing him and a fellow supporter throwing pigs' heads around to promote the anti-mosque rally.