Leicester Muslim-Hindu tensions spread to Smethwick as arrest made outside temple

An 18-year-old has been arrested following a protest at the gates of a Hindu temple in the West Midlands.

It came as around 100 people gathered outside the Durga Bhawan Temple in Smethwick, West Midlands, on Tuesday evening.

Fireworks and missiles were reportedly thrown in the direction of police, however no injuries were reported.

The protest took place hours after Muslim and Hindu community faith leaders joined forces 50 miles away - and issued a plea for an end to the tensions seen in Leicester recently.

Officers said they were aware of a planned protest over an event at the Hindu Cultural Resource Centre and its guest speaker.

The event had been cancelled and the speaker involved was no longer staying in the UK, police added.

An 18-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion possessing a knife and he remains in custody for questioning.

By about 7:30pm, a large section of the group on Spon Lane had dispersed.

Police have said they will continue to monitor the situation locally and across the region.

In a statement, West Midlands Police said: "To help ensure there was no outbreak of serious violence, we had stop and search powers in place until this morning.

"We are continuing to provide a visible police presence, working closely with faith leaders and partners across the community to provide reassurance.

"We're also looking into reports of a small number of cars being damaged."

Tensions in Leicester have been simmering for "months" according to Independent MP for Leicester East Claudia Webbe, as faith leaders urged "restraint" after the weekend's trouble.

The city has seen no repeat of the scenes from Saturday and Sunday which led to 47 arrests, with Leicestershire Police saying on Tuesday there were "no reports of disorder" overnight.

Some of those detained after trouble in the city's east were from Birmingham, according to the force, which also said 25 of its officers and a police dog were injured.

Amos Noronha, 20, of Illingworth Road, Leicester, was jailed for 10 months after admitting possession of an offensive weapon in connection with the trouble.

Residents in Leicester have been shocked by images of groups of men, mainly masked or hooded and involving members of the Hindu and Muslim communities, in tense confrontations and stand-offs on the city's streets.

Across the community there have been repeated calls for restraint following the weekend, most recently from the Muslim Council of Britain (MCB), which said "hatred of any kind has no place in our society".

The collective leadership of many of the main Hindu and Jain temples have also appealed to all "for calm in the city".