The union flag at half-mast above the Town Hall

CAMDEN’S new council leader has written to community leaders in the wake of the Manchester terror attack to reassure them that they “will not tolerate hate and division in Camden”.

Georgia Gould’s letter, sent to the leaders of community centres and faith groups across the borough, went out after Prime Minister Theresa May raised the national terror threat to “critical”, the highest level. This means that further attacks could be imminent following the bombing at the Manchester Arena which killed 22 people and left dozens wounded on Monday.

The army has also been drafted in to support the Met Police and soldiers are expected to be positioned at St Pancras International. Addressing the “potential for hate crime” as a result of the attack, Cllr Gould said: “We will not allow these dreadful attacks to divide us or to undermine our freedoms. “We will not be cowed and our daily lives must continue.”

It was co-signed by Abdul Hai, Camden’s community safety chief, and added: “We encourage residents to report and share information of any type of hate crime that they witness or experience in the borough. “Our message is clear: hate crimes will not be tolerated and we must stand together to support everyone in our communities. Camden rejects all messages of hate based on people’s nationality or ethnicity.” There will be an increase in armed and un-armed police at key sites across the borough, as well as on patrol.

The union flag above the Town Hall in Judd Street was flown at half-mast on Tuesday “in solidarity with the people of Manchester”. General election campaigning, at a local level at least, is expected to resume after political parties agreed to suspend their activities in the immediate aftermath of the attacks. In an attempt to show unity and solidarity, rival candidates in Holborn and St Pancras – Keir Starmer, Tim Barnes, Sian Berry and Stephen Crosher – co-authored a statement of solidarity.

“Whatever our political differences, as candidates for Holborn and St Pancras, we stand united in our condemnation of the appalling terrorist attack in Manchester on Monday evening and united in our grief for all those affected,” it said. “Our hearts and thoughts are with all the victims, their families and friends. We commend and thank all the heroic staff of the emergency services and members of the public who came to the aid of those who were injured. “In times such as this, it is vital that people and communities come together in Manchester, in Camden and across the country.”

Camden’s new mayor, Councillor Richard Cotton, meanwhile, has sent a letter of condol­ence to Manchester on behalf of the borough. The message – sent to Lord Mayor of Manchester Eddy Newman – said: “It is difficult to comprehend the depths of depravity that have motivated this attack on children and families… The warm-hearted and public-spirited response of Mancunians in the face of such tragedy will be universally admired.”