Arsonists target UK mosques
Four mosques in separate English cities have been slightly damaged by fires set deliberately since London was hit by bombings last week, police say.
Incidents reported by individual police forces included arson attacks on mosques in Leeds, Belvedere, Telford and Birkenhead which caused “little damage”, said Chris Fox, the president of Association of Police Chief Officers on Sunday.
Fox added that there was evidence of some verbal abuse directed at Muslims in the street, and some criminal damage to cars, businesses and homes.
The Muslim community is feeling increasingly concerned and vulnerable, a monitoring team from the association found, but it said there had been no upsurge in violence and abuse directed at minority groups.
|
“We encourage everyone to report this type of obnoxious and dangerous behaviour, from whatever quarter, for full police investigation” Chris Fox, Association of Police Chief Officers president |
“There is no doubt that there will have been other low level incidents that have not yet been reported to police,” Fox said.
“We encourage everyone to report this type of obnoxious and dangerous behaviour, from whatever quarter, for full police investigation as we are determined that there will be a very robust enforcement response to it,” he said.
The police presence in some areas would be boosted “wherever locally appropriate” to reassure all communities that they are being protected, Fox added.