Walsall halal butchers 'petrol bomb': Leader urges unity after attack

Councillor Sean Coughlan said he had felt 'a notable increase in tension' over recent days, in the wake of Kashmir Meat & Poultry being destroyed in a blaze after a man threw a lit bottle of accelerant into the Wednesbury Road shop on Monday.

Councillor Coughlan said: "Walsall has a long and proud history of harmony between communities and this has served us well and will continue to do so.

"Over the last few days however, I'm aware there has been a notable increase in tension and this is causing concern to us all.

"I call upon all political and religious community leaders and the residents of Walsall to use their influence to maintain our high values of understanding, unity and harmony that we all hold dear."

Police have said they are still unclear of any motive for the attack.

But a resident, who lives near the shop, today said he was sure it was linked to race hate crime and last week's EU referendum.

Doctor Muhammad Azeem Khan, who works at Walsall Manor Hospital and lives in Wednesbury Road, said he was certain it was a racist attack.

A neighbour, whose first floor flat smelled of smoke all day on Tuesday after the fire, said he had never seen anything like it before in Pleck.

The man, who did not want to be named, said: "I was in here when it happened and I just heard some loud bangs.

"There was smoke coming through my bathroom vent and the bedroom."

An online campaign has now also been launched to help the victims of the attack and has raised £490 so far.

Organiser Helena Dunnett-Orridge wrote on the gofundme page: "We need to come together as a community and stand in solidarity with the victims of this attack, who were a part of our thriving Muslim community.

"We will not stand for these personalised crimes of terror, whatever their motivation."

To donate, visit www.gofundme.com/2brp824

The incident happened at about 5.20pm on Monday and police say they are still looking for the offender.

He was white, about 6ft and wore a blue jacket.

The shop owner's brother, Bashir Hussain, who was inside it buying meat, suffered bruising after he was hit by the bottle thrown by the man.

Walsall MPs Valerie Vaz and David Winnick condemned the attack yesterday.

Ms Vaz said she was aware of 'a surge of racially motivated incidents nationally' and that they needed to be stopped.

West Midlands Police spokesman Brigg Ford said the force was unable to say 'definitively' that it was a racist attack.

Yesterday, the shop's shutters had been pulled down and fruit and vegetables had been left on a table outside.

Charred wood was placed on the pavement, part of which was closed off.