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Newport: Deliberate fire at mosque treated as hate crime

BBC Mosque on George Street, NewportBBC
Police say the fire on Monday was "shocking and upsetting for all those involved"

A fire at a mosque in Newport is being treated as a hate crime.

Gwent Police was alerted to reports of the blaze on George Street at about 17:25 BST on Monday.

The fire, which was extinguished by worshippers, caused damage to the building but no one was injured.

A 43-year-old man from Newport is in custody after being arrested on suspicion of arson with intent to endanger life.

Ch Supt Tom Harding said: "At this time, we're treating this as a hate crime. It's never acceptable to target anyone because of who they are and what they believe.

Mosque on George Street, Newport
The fire at the mosque on George Street was put out by worshippers

"We will take action against those who commit this type of crime, putting the victim at the heart of everything that we do."

He said additional officers will be present in the community as part of the investigation and appealed for anyone with information to come forward.