Police have drawn up an action plan to ensure this year's Eid celebrations in Southall do not cause "distress and disruption to the community".

National flags have been banned and cars will be prevented from entering a restricted area on January 21 and 22.

Police insisted flags were not appropriate for Eid celebrations as it is a religious festival celebrated by people from many different countries and not a national festival.

Flag waving had, "Sometimes lead to the incitement of violence, racial tension and breaches of peace between groups in the Southall area," a police spokesman said. "It is this sort of incident that the local community and Ealing Borough Police would very much like to avoid."

Officers also said that persistent loud music and honking car horns into the early hours had been a problem in the past.

And others have engaged in drunken behaviour, which has led to violence and a number of arrests for drunkenness and public order offences.

Acting Borough Commander Laura Nicholson said: "Ealing Borough is fortunate that generally speaking the religious and cultural celebrations that take place are met with tolerance and patience.

"We are conscious that to maintain this community cohesiveness there is a requirement for us to ensure that this activity is conducted within the law but that we are sensitive to the cultural and religious beliefs of local residents, and cause as little disruption as possible."

Assad Akhsh, general secretary of the Townsend Road Mosque in Ealing backed the move. He said: "There have been problems in the past and we support the police efforts to try and prevent repeats."

An integral part of Ealing Borough's tactics during Eid is traffic management. Leaflets will be distributed to all residents and business premises within the traffic management area outlining the exact road closures and restrictions.

Local residents within the traffic management area will be allowed access in and out but police "strongly advise" they carry identification documents and proof of address.

Ealing police will also have Urdu and Punjab speaking officers on patrol throughout Eid to assist with any issues or concerns and ensure it is a safe and peaceful time for all in attendance.