Police are treating a fire at a mosque in Peacehaven, East Sussex, as arson and a hate crime after the building’s entrance and a nearby car were set alight late on Saturday night.
Emergency services were called to the mosque on Phyllis Avenue at around 21:50 BST, where firefighters brought the blaze under control. Sussex Police confirmed no one was injured but said the incident caused significant damage to the property.
Detective Superintendent Karrie Bohanna said: “We understand the concerns this has caused within the community, and the impact that will be felt by the Muslim community as a result. There is already an increased police presence at the scene and additional patrols at other places of worship across the county.”
A volunteer at the mosque, who asked not to be identified, said two people wearing balaclavas attempted to enter through the locked front door before pouring a liquid at the entrance and near a parked car, which they set on fire.
“It could have been murder,” the volunteer said, adding that two people inside the mosque managed to escape safely.
Video footage circulating online appears to show two masked individuals approaching the mosque before a large blaze spreads through the entryway.
The suspected arson has reignited concerns about the safety of religious sites following Thursday’s terror attack at a synagogue in Manchester that left two people dead.
Tariq Jung, chair of the Brighton and Hove Muslim Forum, said communities were “deeply saddened and appalled” by both incidents. “Irrespective of whether worshippers are Jewish, Christian, Hindu or Muslim, the last thing they should expect is someone trying to harm them,” he told BBC Radio Sussex.
“I hope faith leaders and others within the community will come together to try and bring peace. We’ve got to support each other at this time of great need.”