This article is more than 1 year old

This article is more than 1 year old

Counter-terrorism police are investigating after windows were smashed at five mosques in Birmingham.

West Midlands police were first called at 2.32am to a mosque on Birchfield Road, Perry Barr, where a man was reported to be breaking windows with a sledgehammer. Officers arrived to find that the incident had happened some time earlier.

They were next alerted at 3.14am to activity at another mosque, in Slade Road, Erdington. Following confirmation of that incident, a decision was taken to check on other mosques, and similar damage was found at buildings in Witton Road, Aston, and nearby on The Broadway.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest The Jam-E-Masjid Qiblah Hadhrat Sahib Gulhar Shareef on Slade Road in Erdington. Photograph: Aaron Chown/PA

On Thursday morning, police discovered that a mosque on Albert Road had also had its windows smashed, and they are treating this attack as linked to the earlier incidents.

The home secretary, Sajid Javid, said the incidents were “deeply concerning and distressing”. He tweeted: “ @ WMPolice are investigating motive but let me be clear – hateful behaviour has absolutely no place in our society and will never be accepted.”

mosques affected mosques

Police and the West Midlands counter-terrorism unit are investigating the incidents, and forensic teams were gathering evidence at the scenes.

The 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.

ITV News (@itvnews) ITV News has obtained CCTV footage of what appears to be one of five attacks on mosques in Birmingham overnight.

A man can be seen walking along Broadway, Perry Barr, in the early hours of the morning, before swinging an object at the building https://t.co/zHfPQ5i7DV pic.twitter.com/cXNhSJj1Sn

“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.”

Facebook Twitter Pinterest The Faizul Islam mosque on The Broadway, Aston, also had its windows smashed. Photograph: Aaron Chown/PA

At a press conference outside the Witton Islamic Centre, David Jamieson, the West Midlands police and crime commissioner, said: “I will say to anyone who is going to carry out these attacks – the police are going to find you and they’ll prosecute you. There is no place in our society for this sort of division between one group of people and another.

“We hold together in Birmingham as people, we’re a diverse community and that’s the way we’re going to stay – calm, working together sensibly, with no attacks on each other.”

A spokesman for Witton Islamic Centre said the perpetrator used a sledgehammer to smash the mosque’s front windows. He also urged the local community to stay calm.

He added: “For those that may be worried about attending prayers at the mosque, there will be an increased police presence to reassure the community. The general message to the community is to stay calm but vigilant.”

Ian Ward, leader of Birmingham city council, said there was no room for “hate and Islamophobia” in the city.

“As we saw with last week’s tragic events in Christchurch, Islamophobia is a poison that cannot go unchallenged,” he said. “As a city it is important that we call out discrimination and intolerance in any form and we will continue to do so.”

Jack Dromey, the Labour MP for Birmingham Erdington, tweeted: “Hate is on the march. Overnight the Slade Road Mosque in #Erdington was attacked. We stand in solidarity with the Muslim community. And we condemn the evil of Islamophobia and those who fuel the flames of hate.”

Shabana Mahmood, MP for Birmingham Ladywood, said: “The attacks on three mosques and a school across Birmingham are both frightening and heartbreaking; and while those affected will feel both anger and sadness, I would urge all residents to remain calm. The actions of those responsible shows people at their worst, but the response from people across our city shows people at their best – compassionate, caring and unified.

“Events such as these underscore how much work there remains to be done to confront the normalisation of hate speech and Islamophobia in our political discourse, in our media and across our society.”

Jayne Francis, a local Labour councillor, tweeted: “Really disturbing to learn of Birmingham mosques being subject to attack. This city is built on tolerance and mutual respect – let’s not lose sight of that.”

Waseem Zaffar, a Birmingham city council cabinet member, wrote: “Deeply shocking and concerning to learn about the attacks on masjids in neighbouring Aston and Erdington neighbourhoods.

“We will not let a very small minority divide our neighbourhood, the city and society and will fight back against any hate and division with love, peace and harmony.”

Last summer an unknown attacker fired ball bearings from a catapult through the windows of two mosques in the Small Heath area of the city. Those attacks took place while evening prayers were taking place.

Last Friday a mosque in Small Heath asked police for increased security after the Christchurch attack.

The Muslim Council of Britain reported last week that in the past two months there had been attacks against mosques in Manchester and Newcastle.

Police have stepped up patrols around mosques nationwide since last week’s attacks in Christchurch. Britain’s top counter-terrorism officer, the Met’s assistant commissioner Neil Basu, said: “We will be stepping up reassurance patrols around mosques and increasing engagement with communities of all faith, giving advice on how people and places can protect themselves.”