Rocks thrown at Yeovil Islamic Centre in suspected hate crime

The news website Somerset Live and the Independent report on an attack on the Yeovil Islamic Centre after a report of rocks being thrown through its windows.

The incident happened sometime between 11.30pm on Friday, July 15 and 1.30am on Saturday, July 16, according to the local paper.

Avon and Somerset police have issued a public appeal seeking information and witnesses to the alleged attack.

A spokesperson for the force said officers were treating the incident as a case of “racially or religiously aggravated criminal damage”.

Anyone with information is asked to call 101 quoting reference number 5216156358.

News of the incident comes as the National Police Chiefs Council release further data on the increase in police recorded hate crime around the date of the EU referendum. The NPCC revealed there were 3,192 alleged hate crimes reported between 16-30 June this year, in the week preceding and immediately after the EU referendum, and a further 3,001 reports between 1 and 14 July. The figures breakdown to an equivalent of more than 200 incidents every day over the four week period.