POLICE are appealing for witnesses after an arson attack at an Islamic Centre.
Officers attended The Islamic Centre in Manchester after reports of two men stealing CCTV cameras. They found that two cameras had been ripped from front of the building.
The two offenders were described as black men, wearing black clothes and scarves covering their faces. They were near the mosque at around 11.25pm on Friday (5).
In the early hours of Saturday (6), at around 1.20am, Police were again called to the Islamic Centre after reports that a minibus was on fire.
Officers attended to find that the Islamic Centre’s minibus had been set alight deliberately.
Two men, again dressed in black clothing, were seen running from the scene.
Inspector Chris Hadfield said: “We believe the two incidents are linked and that the theft of the CCTV cameras was meant to help them carry out their arson attack on the minibus without being recorded.
“Fortunately there are several other cameras that capture the rear of the Islamic Centre where the attack took place.
“However, it is vital that we get potential witnesses to come forward with any information they may have.
“We are investigating the possibility that this is a targeted hate crime and we will be working closely with our partners in the council and local community to try and track down the people responsible and prevent such an attack happening again.”
Anyone with information is asked to call Police on 101 or the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
