Islamic school in Newcastle sent hate mail in third attack on centre this year

Northumbria Police treating incident as a hate crime

The building of Bahr Academy in Newcastle was targeted by vandals (Bahr Academy)

An Islamic school in Newcastle, which suffered “racist” vandalism earlier this year, has received a number of malicious letters in the latest incident to be treated as a hate crime by the police.

Bahr Academy, a girls’ school which is currently renovating the old set of children’s TV show Byker Grove, has already had its building broken into and vandalised on two occasions this year.

In the first attack in January, swastikas and the words “moslem terorists” [sic] were scrawled on the walls of the school. Then in March, copies of the Quran were ripped up and windows smashed.

Now Northumbria Police is investigating “hate mail” that was sent to the school’s main site.

Staff at the school said they were sent a package which contained images of Jimmy Savile with a caption calling the Prophet Muhammad a "paedo", it's principal Muhammad Abdulmuheet told The Chronicle newspaper.

He said the contents of the package as “disgusting”, adding that he was worried they would be sent a harmful substance.

"We're a school for children - children shouldn't be exposed to something like this. These times are really worrying. I don't know what could happen," he added. “We feel we are a target, because we are the only Islamic school in the North East, and I think because we're a girls’ school we're seen as even more vulnerable."

Neighbourhood Inspector Alan Davison confirmed Northumbria Police had "received two reports of malicious letters sent to the Bahr Academy centre".

He added: “Enquiries into these incidents are ongoing but they are being treated as a hate crime.”

He said the force did "not believed these incidents are linked but it is very sad that the academy has received these threats so soon after the incident in March."

He added: “The academy is a very popular part of the local community and they have received support from residents and businesses of all different backgrounds since they were targeted. We will continue to work closely with them to identify those responsible.”

Speaking to The Independent in January after anti-Muslim graffiti appeared on the school’s walls, Mr Abdulmuheet said: “Our biggest fear now is someone will burn down the building.”

Former members of the cast and crew of Byker Grove have raised more than £3,000 to help the school recover from hate crimes.