THIRTEEN out of 632 anti-Muslim hate cases highlighted to a new government-backed project in its first year were recorded in East Lancashire.

The two most serious cases from Blackburn have been taken up by the Tell Mama helpline run by the interfaith organisation Faith Matters.

Lancashire Council of Mosques chairman Salim Mulla said the figures were ‘disappointing’.

Fiyaz Mughal, director of Faith Matters, said: “By highlighting these incidents we want people to realise that Islamophobia is equally disgusting and poisonous as anti-Semitism.”

The Tell Mama campaign had 13 cases reported across Ribble Valley, Blackburn with Darwen, Burnley, Pendle, Hyndburn, Rossendale and Chorley since the project started 12 months ago .

The two highlighted by the organisation were both in the Blackburn area.

In November Tell MAMA received a call from an Asian woman.

A spokeswoman said: “She said her work colleagues said on several occasions that ‘Asian Muslim men groom white English women’. She felt bullied and threatened.”

The second was an attack on a mosque last month.

The organisation said: “While attending morning prayers, worshippers came across paint daubed over the main door. Along with the paint, it is suspected there was egg and some jelly substance. The police have the details.

“This is the first such attack on this mosque, which has been in the area for over 20 years.”

Coun Mulla said: “This is disappointing. We think there are more attacks on mosques than are reported. People need to be responsible and respect mosques and churches where people of different faiths can worship in peace.”