Community rallies around mosque after disorder

Tahir Selby said protesters had tried to enter the mosque on Wednesday

A community has rallied around a Hartlepool mosque after a night of unrest saw police officers attacked with missiles, glass bottles and eggs.

Four officers were injured during altercations which took place when about 150 people gathered in the town's Murray Street area on Wednesday.

Tahir Selby, imam at the Nasir Mosque, said police had diverted protesters away from the place of worship on Brougham Terrace.

A fundraiser, set up to "show appreciation" for the mosque, saw its initial target of £200 surpassed in 15 minutes. the current total has risen to more than £10,000.

Appeal organiser, Andrew Cooper, said volunteers at the site had "cooked and served almost 30,000 meals to food banks and charities of Hartlepool in recent years".

Cleveland Police said it believed the unrest was linked to protests over the fatal knife attack on a group of children in Southport, Merseyside, on Monday.

The force said seven men, aged between 28 and 54, had been charged with disorder, and are due to appear at Teesside Magistrates' Court later.

One of the men was also charged with assault by beating of an emergency worker, and another was charged with possession of an offensive weapon in a public place,

An 11-year-old boy was also held on suspicion of arson after a police car was set alight.

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Mr Selby said police had warned the mosque on Wednesday that a group of protesters might try to approach the building.

Later that day, he said he was urged by colleagues to "lock the gate", and discovered police had blocked both sides of the mosque to prevent people getting closer.

The crowd was diverted and instead headed to Murray Street "where there are lots of Asians living", according to Mr Selby.

He said there was a lot of misinformation about Islam, and that the mosque were focused on making people understand that "Islam is a religion of God, and God wants peace".

Cleveland Police has been approached for comment.

'Heartbreaking'

Fundraiser organiser, Mr Cooper, 31, lives in Hartlepool.

He said the attacks had been "heartbreaking", stressing the "amazing work Nasir Mosque had done around the town for years".

"I honestly haven't done anything noteworthy myself, but by giving our town the platform to come together, and show unity and compassion for all of our town's different cultures, they've been able to show how amazing Hartlepudlians really are," he said.

'We stand with you'

A statement on the fundraising page for the mosque - which was set up on Wednesday night - said it was intended "to show our appreciation of their dedication and effort, and to support their ongoing scheme to feed those in need across the town".

One donor commented: "This fundraiser is a great way to say that most of the Hartlepool community respect and celebrate our diversity."

Another person wrote: "We stand with you against hatred, and are appalled by the violence in our town. You are a beacon of charity and light in Hartlepool."

Another comment stated: "The money raised here today is the true voice of good Hartlepool people."

On Thursday, all six Labour MPs in the Tees Valley issued a statement condemning the "thuggish" criminal behaviour seen in Hartlepool on Wednesday night.

"We will not be divided in our shared determination to ensure that all our communities can live in peace and safety," the statement said.

Additional reporting by Louise Hobson.