A COMMUNITY has expressed outrage after a Mosque was graffitied with detrimental comments about Muslims.

Thornaby Mosque, on Westbury Street in Thornaby, near Stockton, has been graffitied with the slogan “Muslim Cowards”.

The graffiti was discovered by a member of the mosque at around 3.45am this morning.

Cleveland Police described the graffiti as “completely unacceptable” and added they were treating it as a hate crime.

Stockton Borough Council have confirmed they have since sent a team to remove the graffiti.

Writing on Facebook about the graffiti, Stephen Downey said: “Some people need educating – this is a place of God and a place of worship.

“Real Muslims would have been here praying when the London attack happened.”

Mr Downey also said he would go and “clean it off” himself if it was not removed by 4.30pm.

Another person wrote: “Disgusting, we don’t want this in Thornaby. We are a caring town who embrace our true Muslim neighbours.

“These terror attacks to not represent Islam.”

A spokesperson for Cleveland Police said: “We received a call in the early hours of today, reporting graffiti on a wall of the mosque in Westbury Street, Thornaby and have arranged to speak to a representative from the mosque later today.

“In the meantime we would reiterate that this type of activity is completely unacceptable and that we are treating it as a hate crime.

“We would always encourage anyone who believes they have been victim of a hate crime to contact us, or if they do not want to speak to police, go via the True Vision organisation.”

Anyone with information on the person responsible for this incident is asked to contact Cleveland Police via the 101 number.