Two alleged hate crime incidents at Preston mosque

Local news sources, Lancashire Telegraph and BlogPreston, report on two suspected hate incidents at the Jamea mosque on Clarendon Street in Preston last week. 

BlogPreston, which has been passed CCTV footage of the alleged incidents reports that on the evening of Wednesday 8 February, “a group of three teenagers are said to have hit the door of the mosque with a metal bar and shouted ‘immigrants out’”.

In another incident in the late afternoon of Thursday, February 9 an elderly man had rocks thrown at him outside the mosque.

Police Inspector Dave Britton confirmed an incident report stating, “A group of people were racially abusing people at the mosque, throwing rocks at a caretaker before running off towards Manchester Road.”

A police spokesman quoted on BlogPreston said the incidents were being treated as hate crimes. She said: “We attended two incidents. The first saw three female offenders involved, with one throwing a brick at the mosque.

“A second incident saw a teenage girl throw a stone at the mosque and shouted abusive language at a man.”

BlogPreston posted an entry highlighting concerns raised by a member of the mosque who wished to remain anonymous. The individual told the blog: “This behaviour is not typical of Preston. It is very worrying and concerning. We are working with the authorities to have these people identified.”

Anyone with information is urged to call Lancashire Police on 101 quoting incident reference numbers SA1701903 and SA1701962.