Two places of worship in Leeds were subjected to arson attacks.
Fire crews were called out to a mosque, on Hardy Street, Beeston, where the main door had been deliberately set on fire early this morning (5 June).
Firefighters had extinguished the fire before it had the chance to spread, and damage was confined to the door and surrounding brickwork. It is believed flammable liquid had been used to start the fire.
Shortly after police were contacted by staff at a nearby gurdwara, on Lady Pit Lane, reporting someone had set fire to the front door around 30 to 40 minutes earlier.
The fire had triggered the smoke alarm and been put out quickly causing damage to part of the door and a pillar.
Detective Inspector Richard Holmes, of Leeds District CID, said: “We are treating both these incidents as linked given the closeness of the locations and the similar times that they have occurred.
“While our investigation is still at a relatively early stage, we do believe these premises have been specifically targeted as places of worship and we are treating both incidents as arsons and hate crimes.
“We are currently carrying out extensive enquiries, including checks on CCTV in both areas, and we would like to hear from anyone who has witnessed any suspicious activity or seen any person or vehicles in the areas around the time these incidents have occurred.
“We would also like to hear from anyone who has any other information that could assist the investigation.
“Clearly we will always treat incidents of this nature very seriously and will be doing everything we can to identify those responsible and bring them to justice.”
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