Man sentenced for racial abuse over Bolton mosque plans

The Bolton News reports on the conviction of a man for a racially aggravated public order offence after he was heard shouting racist abuse at a group of Asian men from the top of a bus last August.

Shaun Jones, 34, attended a protest by the far right group, North West Infidels, against the Astley Bridge mosque and was seen gesticulating and shouting racist slurs at a group of Asian men from the top of the bus. The mosque had been granted planning approval at a council meeting the previous month, in July, where protestors disrupted proceedings and council officials had to be escorted out of the council chamber.

The Astley Bridge project has attracted considerable hostility with a Facebook page being set up opposing it. Last December, two men were convicted for comments posted on the page threatening to “torch” and “blow up” the mosque if it was built.

Shaun Jones was conditionally discharged for three years and ordered to pay £415 costs.

“Jones had previously denied the charges but changed his plea, with the period of his conditional discharge rising from two to three years because it was racially aggravated,” the paper notes.