Four demand police apology

KEITH BULL

FOUR Burton friends are calling for an apology from police after their names were 'blackened' as part of an investigation into extremist activity.

Zakeel Abbas, from Sydney Street, Majid Ishfaq, of Derby Street, and two other men from the Burton area have been cleared of any wrongdoing after a police hunt to find fanatics who peppered a Muslim parade in the town with offensive posters.

The quartet's homes were raided and 'ransacked' in April by officers scouring for clues to connect them with the extremist posters which tainted the Easter Sunday parade to celebrate the Prophet Mohammed's birthday.

Despite taking away laptops, computers and paperwork, police officers could not find 'sufficient evidence' to connect the accused to the crimes.

The quartet are angry after being greeted by a wall of silence by the police over the last five months.

They were not arrested, quizzed or charged following the raids, and were 'kept in the dark' over the progress of the investigation.

After a tumultuous time, the friends have finally been informed that 'no further action' is to be taken against them in a telephone call from the police.

They have now been able to reclaim their raided goods from the police station.

The group say they feel 'targeted, victimised and demonised' by the police and have slammed the investigation as a 'waste of taxpayer's money'.

In an exclusive interview with The Mail, the four victims now want an apology for the pain and anguish they have endured during the last five months.

Mr Abbas said: "No compensation could pay for what they have done. We were not arrested. We were not questioned. We were just kept in the dark."

Mr Ishfaq said: "There is no doubt in our minds the police should say sorry."

Arranged by the committees of the Uxbridge Street and Princess Street mosques, the 11th annual Muslim parade attracted 1,000 devotees who sang and waved flags.

The posters displayed slogans about Islam's 'supremacy' and urged attacks on non-believers, as well as Rome and the White House.

Police raided houses in Harlech Way and Kingsmead, Stretton, and in Sydney Street, Derby Road and Derby Street, Burton, as part of their enquiries.

They say the warrants to search the houses were justified after acting on information provided by the community.

TARGETED AND VICTIMISED