Bar owners in a suburb of the Danish capital, Copenhagen, have lobbied a government minister for help after being targeted by Muslim youths extorting money and demanding a so-called 'Sharia zone'.

The barkeepers in Nørrebro say they been harassed for months by so-called Sharia patrols, which have threatened them and vandalised bars in broad daylight.

Heidi Dyrnesli, who runs the Cafe Heimdal, told Radio24syv: 'Recently some young men came into the bar and shouted that all guests should leave.

Nørrebro (pictured) is one of Copenhagen's trendiest districts but the area has a high immigrant population and some Muslim youths resent the sale of alcohol and have been hassling customers

'They shouted so that the site belongs to them and that Nørrebro is Sharia zone, so there is no drinking alcohol.'

On Wednesday local businesses in Nørrebro collared Immigration and Integration Minister Inger Støjberg and demanded to know what he planned to do about it.

Ms Støjberg said the youths needed to stop harassing bar owners and get 'an education and a job, so they can become part of Danish society.'

She was later verbally abused by two women during a walkabout in Nørrebro,

The women, who called her 'Nazi' and 'fascist' were both arrested and face a fine for swearing at a government minister.

Nørrebro is a suburb just to the north of the city centre which has a large immigrant population.

There are sizeable communities of Arabs, Turks, Pakistanis, Bosnians and Somalis but they remain a minority -Five years ago a group called Call to Islam began calling for a 'Sharia zone' in the area.

Immigration and Integration Minister Inger Støjberg said there was no way a 'Sharia zone' would be introduced in Nørrebro (pictured)

They began daily patrols and approached people who were drinking or gambling, pointed out they were against Islam and urged them to stop.

But in recent months other groups have taken things a step further, throwing stones and firecrackers at businesses they have targeted.

Birgitte Fischer, who owns the Mucki Bar, said one gang had demanded 60,000 kroner (£6,000) in 'protection money'.

Earlier Ms Støjberg addressed Arab activists on Facebook, telling them to 'behave yourselves' and added: 'You live, and live in the greatest country in the world.

'Opportunities are right in front of you. So stop your rampage, threats and yelling.' Støjberg wrote on Facebook.

Opportunities are right in front of you. So stop your rampage, threats and yelling Inger Støjberg

She insisted 'Sharia zones' would never be allowed in Denmark and said: 'No I can guarantee you that it is not (going to happen) and will never be.'

Ms Støjberg added: 'And you're kinda pretty lucky that this is not a Sharia zone, as you get a fair trial when the police get a hold of you.'

Chief Inspector Allan Nyring, of Copenhagen police, told the Jyllands-Posten newspaper: 'The problem is not nearly as bad as the press make it out to be.

'Of course, it is serious for the bars that are targeted, but we are dealing here with a small group of disaffected youths who, as soon as spring starts, decide to go out and show off.

'We often experience this problem at this time of year, but we manage it through dialogue and by punishing the responsible parties if necessary.'

Jonas Christensen, a Danish TV presenter, told Mail Online: 'This is not the first time something like this has happened in Nørrebro. There have been incidents of Jewish people being attacked, and it's usually by Muslim immigrants.

'It is sad that it has developed like this. My dad used to live in Nørrebro in the 1960s and he said there were not so many immigrants and it has changed a lot.'

Mr Christensen said it was incidents like this which had boosted support for the far-right Danish People's Party, which has made significant inroads during the migrant crisis