India's Modi raises embassy security with UK's Sunak after vandalism

Britain should take action after a violent incident during protests outside India's embassy in London last month, India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi told British counterpart Rishi Sunak.

New Delhi has been upset about protests and vandalism by separatists outside the Indian High Commission in London and elsewhere in the US and Canada.

In a telephone conversation with Sunak, Modi called for "strong action against anti-India elements" by the British government following the incident, Modi's office said in a statement.

Sunak condemned the incident as "unacceptable violence", his Downing Street office said in a readout of the call.

"He stressed that extremism had no place in the UK and updated on the steps being taken to ensure the security of Indian High Commission staff," Sunak's office added.

UK-India bilateral ties became tense last month when protesters in London reportedly removed an Indian flag from the balcony of the High Commission during a protest in which the building's windows were also broken.

British foreign minister James Cleverly had condemned the violence last month but Thursday's call was the first official discussion between Modi and Sunak about the incident.

Both sides also said Modi and Sunak agreed on needing to speed up negotiations for a free trade agreement between Britain and India, which a British newspaper report said this week had stalled over the incident.

The two leaders are also due to meet at the G7 summit in Japan next month and the G20 in India later this year.