LEADERS of an East Lancashire town's Muslim community are calling for CCTV cameras to be installed in a cemetery after graves were vandalised.

Three headstones marking the deaths of Asian babies were damaged a fortnight ago at Accrington Cemetery, leaving the parents distraught.

Detectives have launched a hunt for those responsible and are due to meet council bosses this week to see if security can be tightened up at the graveyard.

But leaders of Accrington's Muslim community today called for spy cameras to be installed in the cemetery so they can catch the offenders on tape if they strike again.

Their call follows a meeting held earlier this week at the Portland Street Islamic Centre between Muslim leaders, Mosque head and the next of kin of the babies whose graves were vandalised.

Sarder Ali, Chairman of the Grimshaw Street Mosque, said: "We felt it was important to hold a meeting to discuss the problem because it has upset a lot of people.

"As a result, we have formed a new committee made up of Muslim and mosque leaders and the families affected by this vandalism, to promote the installation of CCTV at the cemetery.

"Security as a whole needs to be tightened up there."

He added: "We believe that this is the only way to secure peace of mind for the next of kin to the deceased as well as the community.

"We hope to meet the police in the near future to discuss the issue, and also talk to the council."

Since the headstones have been overturned, the Lancashire Evening Telegraph has received dozens of calls from relatives of dead people whose graves have been vandalised, not just in Accrington, but across East Lancashire.

Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council has promised to meet with people distressed at graves being overturned, while in Accrington, Hyndburn Council had deployed security guards to patrol three cemeteries at night.