Police appealed for calm among Muslim communities yesterday after a North-East mosque was damaged by fire in what was believed to be a racist attack.

Detectives investigating the incident at Al Hazar mosque, in South Shields, Tyneside, warned that revenge attacks in the wake of the US terrorist atrocities would not be tolerated.

Although no one was injured and only minor damage caused, police were treating the incident as serious, in the light of the climate of fear among Muslims living in Britain.

One man was believed to be responsible for the attack, which happened at 10.15pm on Saturday.

Firefighters put out the blaze, which was confined to the front door, but mosque members revealed that it was the second time the centre was targeted in the past three days. The first fire-raising attempt failed.

Inspector Simon Charlton, of South Tyneside police, said he was confident that the person responsible would be caught and prosecuted.

He said: "Because of the recent events (in the US), we have got to be aware of the implications of this.

"The actions of this man in this isolated incident will not be tolerated."

Police were examining closed-circuit television footage of the incident and were continuing to work closely with local Muslim community leaders to ensure the safety of residents.

The attack came after an MP appealed for calm after graffiti was daubed on walls not far from the mosque, urging people to "Avenge USA - Kill a Muslim Now".

South Shields MP David Miliband urged the community to unite to prevent the "outrage" from turning to hatred.

In another local incident, a 20-year-old Bangladeshi man was beaten and kicked by a gang of youths and needed an emergency operation for a broken jaw.

There have been several attacks on Muslims across the country, including an arson attack on a mosque in Bolton, Greater Manchester. In London, an Afghan taxi driver was left paralysed after he was beaten up.