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NEWPORT police launched a hate crime investigation after a pig's head was left outside a city mosque on one of the holiest days in the Muslim calendar.

Officers are working closely with the Muslim community in Pill after the incident, which happened on Saturday evening at the start of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan.

The head was discovered by a worshipper outside the Jamia Mosque on Commercial Street at around 10.30pm. Pork meat is strictly prohibited under Islamic law.

Saturday marked the beginning of Ramadan, during which Muslims fast from dawn to dusk.

Abdul Mujahid worships at the mosque, and is chairman of Anjuman Raza-E-Mustafa, a Newport-based Muslim association.

He said: "The police are doing a very good job and we are behind them."

He urged fellow Muslims to let the police handle the investigation, and added: "There is no need for anger. We must all stay calm."

Police are treating it as an isolated incident.

Superintendent Simon Prince said: "Gwent police takes any incident of hate crime extremely seriously. We have launched an investigation into this incident, and officers are working closely with the members of the mosque and the Muslim community."

He said several lines of inquiry were being looked into with a view to identifying the offender, including reviewing CCTV images.

Pill councillor Laura Buchanan-Smith said the incident gave her "grave concerns".

She said: "I hope this does not lead to a step backward in our very close relationship with the Muslim community in Pill."

Omar Williams, of the Newport branch of the Wales-wide Racial Attacks and Harassment Monitoring Association (RAHMA), said: "It is good to see the Muslim community in Newport reporting incidents of this nature to the police.

"At the end of the day this is the action of one individual who will be caught by the police."

Anyone with information is urged to call Gwent police on 01633 838111 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.

12:26pm Friday 29th September 2006

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