Stickers reading 'Exclusively for white people' have been put on at least six businesses in Austin, Texas, drawing condemnation from the mayor.

An official City of Austin logo has been used on the stickers, giving the false impression that they had been officially approved.

In a statement on Wednesday, Austin Mayor Steve Adler called the appearance of the stickers "an appalling and offensive display of ignorance in our city."

"Our city is a place where respect for all people is a part of our spirit and soul," Adler said. "We will keep it that way," Huffington Post reported.

Some shops have denied any involvement in the incident and have written that they were the victims of an ugly vandalism act on their Facebook pages.

Police and businesses are keeping an eye out for those who placed the stickers on shop windows, which appeared between midnight on Tuesday and Wednesday morning.