Police are facing a race row after allegedly failing to properly investigate “Islamophobic” leaflets. Muslim officers have accused the Lancashire force of failing to make arrests over a hate crime and now plan to take the issue to the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC).
The flyers, from six months ago, said: “Muslims are exclusively responsible for the heroin trade.” The leaflets, printed by BNP councillor Brian Norton Parker, appeared in Pendle and Burnley and demand an “apology” and “compensation” from Muslims.
Lancashire’s hate crime unit quizzed Parker before the Crown Prosecution Service said there was too little evidence to proceed. Deputy Chief Constable Mike Cunningham said: “We gave the full details of the situation to the CPS and their advice was no criminal act had been committed.”
But the National Association of Muslim Police is calling for charges of inciting religious hatred to be pressed. One senior Muslim officer said: “Lancashire Police failed to deal with it and it has occurred in three other areas. We are considering a formal complaint to the IPCC.”
A CPS spokesman said: “We advised Lancashire Police if they come to us with more evidence we will review the case.”