Mosque area targeted with racial and anti-Islam graffiti

HATE crime vandals spray-painted racial slurs over homes near Birkenhead's mosque.

The area surrounding the Borough Road mosque was targeted at the weekend with offensive graffiti such as “Islam = Murder" and "Britain for the British."

The graffiti - painted onto walls in Sycamore Road and Mounsey Road, Birkenhead - has sparked outrage among local residents.

One householder contacted the Globe via email to express disgust at the attack.

The resident, who asked to remain anonymous, said: “It is completely out of order, how can some bigoted people come in and think they can get away with this?

"They clearly don’t know much about the area because I am a white European, as are a lot of my neighbours.

"Of course, there are some ethnic minorities also living here but why should they have to put up with this sort of thing?

“I sincerely hope the culprits are caught and dealt with accordingly.”

Police say that following house-to-house inquiries, two males, aged 17 and 20, were arrested on suspicion of a public order offence.

The men have been released on police bail pending further inquiries and the outcome of forensic results.

A spokesman said: "Merseyside Police do not tolerate any form of racist beheviour and would urge anyone who has any information on hate crime to contact us."

You can call police on 0151 709 6010 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.