 |
Police are investigating a suspected arson attack at a mosque in Grimsby, as reports grow of an anti-Muslim backlash.
By Sky News
Two men have been charged with arson with intent to endanger life after an attack on a mosque in Grimsby, Lincolnshire.
Stuart Harness, 33, from the town, and Gavin Humphries, 37, were arrested after the fire in Weelsby Road.
CCTV appeared to show three petrol bombs being thrown over the gate of the building, one of which landed by the door.No one was injured in the attack, which came days after the murder of soldier Lee Rigby near a military barracks in Woolwich.
It is not clear whether the two incidents are linked, although a spokesman for Humberside Police said a number of messages left on social networking sites after Drummer Rigby's death appeared to invite people to meet at various locations in the area and cause trouble.
Speaking after the attack, Diler Gharib, chairman of the mosque, told the Grimsby Telegraph : "We had just finished our prayers and were discussing how to thank our neighbours for the support they have shown us over the past few days when we heard a bang and saw fire coming under the door.
"I grabbed a fire extinguisher and put it out and then two more petrol bombs hit the fire escape and the bin so I had to put those out too."
There had been a police presence around the mosque since a brick was thrown through a window three days earlier, shattering a pane of glass that fell onto a sofa below.
The death of Drummer Rigby has provoked a backlash of anger across the country, with reports of a large increase in anti-Muslim incidents and malicious comments on social networking sites.
Faith Matters, an organisation that works to reduce extremism, said more than 160 incidents had been reported to its helpline since Drummer Rigby's death.
That compares to an average of four to eight cases a day reported to the group before the attack.