Poland's President Andrzej Duda has written to church leaders in Britain asking them to counter "intolerance and xenophobia" exposed in attacks on Poles living there.

Duda said his letters to the heads of the Catholic Church and the Church in England in Britain were in support of the Polish government's efforts to obtain better protection for the hundreds of thousands of Poles living in Britain.

Since Britain voted leave the European Union, there has been an increase in reports of hostile acts against Poles.