Man arrested in Newton Heath mosque fire investigation
A 23-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of setting fire to a mosque in Newton Heath.
The Manchester Nasfat Islamic Centre on Droylsden Road suffered ‘significant’ damage after a fire in July.
Emergency services were called and around 30 firefighters worked to tackle the blaze on Sunday 16th July.
Greater Manchester Police said the offender approached the premises and forced open a window before placing an unknown accelerant inside.
Images taken by witnesses show flames coming from the roof of the building, lighting up the sky and surrounding houses.
A spokesman for the centre said there was no one inside at the time, and that they received a call in the night to say ‘it was being attacked’.
Detective Chief Inspector Paul Walker of GMP’s City of Manchester Borough, said: “We are continuing to investigate this as a hate crime and are still working hard to establish the full circumstances around the arson attack"
As part of this investigation, a 23-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of arson. He has now been released under investigation.
Anyone with information should contact police on 0161 856 9770 or the independent charity Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.