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Four mosques in Birmingham had their windows smashed overnight, West Midlands Police has confirmed.

The Witton Road Islamic Centre in Witton was among those attacked and the force said three others were targeted.

West Midlands Police were called at 2.32am today, Thursday March 21 to reports of a man smashing windows with a sledgehammer at the mosque on Birchfield Road.

Officers arrived within minutes, but soon established the attack had happened some time earlier.

At 3.14am, police were alerted to a similar attack at a mosque on Slade Road, Erdington.

Police began patrols in areas with mosques and came across more damage at places of worship on Witton Road, Aston, and at Broadway, Perry Barr.

Coun Majid Mahmood tweeted that a sledgehammer was used to break windows .

He tweeted: "Unfortunately the Witton Road Islamic Centre was attacked overnight by an individual who used a sledgehammer to break the windows.

"I said last week that Muslims were afraid after the terrorist attacks in #ChristChurch .

"We need support in Brum @WMPolice ."

Forensic officers are working to identify evidence, and CCTV is being examined.

Neighbourhood officers are working closely with mosques around the West Midlands today.

The motive behind the attacks, which are being treated as linked, is yet to be established but West Midlands Police and the West Midlands Counter Terrorism Unit are investigating.

West Midlands Police Chief Constable Dave Thompson said: "Since the tragic events in Christchurch, New Zealand, officers and staff from West Midlands Police have been working closely with our faith partners across the region to offer reassurance and support at mosques, churches and places of prayer.

"At the moment we don’t know the motive for last night’s attacks.

“What I can say is that the force and the Counter Terrorism Unit are working side-by-side to find whoever is responsible.

"At difficult times like this, it is incredibly important that everyone unites against those who seek to create discord, uncertainty and fear in our communities.”

Sharafat Ali, the Imam of Witton Islamic Centre, said around seven windows and two doors were smashed between 1.30am and 2am on Thursday.

Mr Ali said the attack had left them scared in the wake of the New Zealand massacre.

Mr Ali, 66, said: "It's terrible, the community is shocked because of what’s happened in New Zealand.

"We’ve been here for 30 years.

"In the morning you get 40 worshippers for morning prayer, on Friday you get about two to three hundred.

"This doesn’t happen in Aston.

"Tomorrow is Friday prayers and I don’t know what’s going up happen.

"We are asking the police to give us more security.”

Anyone with information has been asked to contact police via Live Chat between 8am and midnight, via 101 any time, or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.