A mosque teacher has been cleared of assaulting a pupil after prosecution witnesses, including the alleged victim and his father, failed to show up at court.

Mohammed Jamil Ahmed, 49, was charged with assaulting a 13-year-old boy following an incident at Medina Mosque, Oak Street, Blackburn, in February.

But the town's magistrates threw out the assault charge after hearing the boy, who suffered scratches and bruising to his face, and his father had since become reluctant witnesses.

Ahmed, of Grindleton Road, Blackburn, who denied assault, instead admitted breaching the peace and was bound over in £1,000 to keep the peace for two years.

Speaking after the case, Ahmed said he was considering whether to return to the mosque as a teacher and planned to visit the boy's family who he held "no grudge against".

But civic leaders have criticised the decision to withdraw the allegation, saying justice should have been pursued to the end.

A pupil at the mosque who witnessed what happened and who had co-operated throughout the police investigation, also did not attend Blackburn magistrates when the case was due to be heard, despite being summonsed to appear.

And a second witness travelled to Pakistan before a witness summons was served.

The hearing was told a cloth used to cover the Koran ended up on the boy's head while he was praying.

The court heard that Ahmed was upset at the insult to the Koran as the cloth is an important item in the Muslim faith.

He grabbed the cloth and the boy suffered scratches and bruising to his face.

Magistrates were shown photographs of the injuries.

The Chairman of the Magistrates said they were not happy to bind the defendant over having seen photographs of the injuries suffered by the boy.

"We have grave concerns about his case," said the chairman.

"However, the law does not allow us to proceed in any other way and we are reluctantly making a binding over order."

Ahmed's defence solicitor told the court the injuries were nail marks caused when Ahmed grabbed the cloth.

After the case, Ahmed, a father of three, said: "Teaching is for the children's future so they can have as much education as possible.

"I was brought up in the 1960s with the cane but the regulations now are that you cannot do that kind of thing to a child.

"People do not know about the behaviour of children today.

"It is everywhere, teaching 13, 14, and 15-year-olds is difficult and sometimes you just want to leave the class.

"I wish it was more like the Victorian times when children wanted to learn.

"I do not think there was any pressure from the community for the people not to go to court and everybody leads their own lives and has their own opinions."

Claire Grant, prosecuting, asked magistrates to replace the assault charge with a breach of the peace which if admitted would lead to the dismissal of the assault.

She said: "This is not a decision I have taken lightly but with difficulty for the Crown it is the complete lack of any prosecution witnesses.

"I have to concede I have taken the decision with a great deal of regret."

Mrs Grant said the aggrieved's version of the incident was that he had said his prayers at the front of the class and as he returned to his seat the Gullas, the cloth used to cover the Koran, caught on a bench and ended up on his head.

She said: "The defendant became angry at his actions, which the boy says were no more than clumsiness.

"What happened next has always been in dispute, but it is accepted that as a result of the defendant's actions the boy suffered scratches and bruising to his face.

"He had to go to hospital for X-rays but fortunately there were no broken bones."

Geoff Brailsford, defending, said his client, who now claimed Jobseekers' Allowance, was a man of great standing in his community and had been teaching at the mosque for two and a half years.

He said the victim had put the cloth on his head and his father had acknowledged his son's behaviour was unacceptable.

Mr Brailsford said Ahmed was upset at the boy's demeanour and the insult to the Koran and the Gullas and admitted he could have removed the cloth roughly.

He added: "This is an item of considerable importance and significance in the Muslim faith.

"He says he grabbed the cloth and the marks you have seen are nail marks as he has removed the cloth.

"He didn't deal with the situation as best he could and should and it is on that basis he accepts the bind over and not on the basis that he committed an assault.

"You can be confident you will not hear further of him. "