Two arrests made by West Mercia Police after Qur’an burning video posted on Facebook

ITV News and local paper Evesham Observer report that two people have been arrested following the online posting of an offensive video earlier this week.

The 30 second video, which was posted on Facebook on Tuesday 6 June, appeared to show a man burning a copy of the Qur’an.

West Mercia Police have arrested a 45-year-old man on suspicion of posting videos or images likely to cause racial hatred, along with a 45-year-old woman from Evesham on suspicion of inciting racial hatred.

Superintendent Kevin Purcell said, “This was a concerning incident and we will be carrying out a thorough investigation. It is being investigated as a hate crime.

“If anyone has any concerns about social media posts that potentially incite hate I would urge them not to share the posts but to report the incident to the police and social media company at the earliest opportunity.”

Any online posts can be reported to police via 101. Alternatively, members of the public can contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.