A number of homes in Manchester have received leaflets in recent days calling for dogs to be banned in public places out of respect for Muslims.

Purporting to be from an Islamic campaign group called “For Public Purity,” the leaflets, delivered to homes in the Cheetham Hill and Salford areas, say: “This area is home to a large Muslim community. Please have respect for us and for our children and limit the presence of dogs in the public sphere.

“Keeping the purity of the public space enables the Muslims to remain untainted and without blemish.

“As part of this effort, we have chosen to address one of the aspects that can have a detrimental effect on the purity of the public space, with the aspect being the presence of dogs who are considered impure in Islam.”