A Bolton man has been arrested on suspicion of posting offensive comments on Facebook about the horrific death of the soldier killed in a terror attack in London.
It comes as police patrols have been stepped up around mosques in Bolton following the brutal killing of Drummer Lee Rigby, who was attacked in Woolwich on Wednesday by a terrorist. A mosque in Bolton was daubed with racist graffiti within hours of the killing in London.
A police spokesman said a 33-year-old man from Morris Green was arrested after posting offensive comments on Facebook about the murder. Officers from Bolton South’s neighbourhood team arrested him on suspicion of inciting racial hatred. He has been bailed until June 20, pending further inquiries.
Today there was a police presence outside the Zakariyya mosque in Derby Street and Taiyabah Mosque in Blackburn Road during Friday prayers, which police said was to offer reassurance.
A spokesman for the Bolton Council of Mosques said: “Because of the situation there is tension so we have been in communication with the police and requested extra patrols outside the mosques as a precaution and we are continuing to monitor the situation.
“What happened in London is unacceptable and barbaric. It is nothing to do with our religion and people are taking things out of context in our peaceful town.”