Vandals desecrate Muslim graves

Vandals desecrate Muslim graves

Relatives are being contacted by local mosques

More than 40 Muslim graves have been vandalised at a cemetery in Leicester.

Only Muslim grave stones at Saffron Hill Cemetery were attacked.

Local community leaders and Leicester City Council said it was probably a deliberate racial attack.

Mosques in the city have been informed and religious leaders are contacting relatives.

An Islamic prayer room at the site was also damaged.

'It is unbelievable'

The vandals managed to push over the headstones, even though many were bolted or cemented down.

Anamil Haq, whose mother's grave was one of those attacked, said: "I just can't believe that somebody would do something like this.

"What kind of a human being are they to have ruined 41 graves?

"What possible gain could they have, it is unbelievable.

"This really does bring race relations back a step in Leicester, it is sad something like this could happen in a city where everybody gets on with everybody else and there has never been any trouble in the community."

Local police are stepping up patrols in the area while council wardens are also keeping a watch over the graves.