THERE has been a good deal of understandable anxiety throughout the country since July 7 and the failed bomb attacks in London on July 21.

Many people have been worried about travelling to the capital and even that similar attacks could take place here in the North West.

And Muslims here in East Lancashire have felt fearful of becoming victims of violence and vandalism merely because they are Muslims - or even more irrationally because of the colour of their skins. Sadly, some of those fears now seem to have been justified.

Idiotic behaviour by a mindless few has led to the number of racist crimes in Lancashire increasing threefold in the wake of the terrorist incidents.

Coun Salim Mulla says it is "unfair that the Muslim community should have to take responsibility for the actions of four lunatics" by suffering attacks on mosques and individuals.

The Muslim community is looking deeply within itself to try to work out the actions of the alleged bombers and discover if anything could be done to stop further such acts.

One thing is certain however.

It is outrageous and nonsensical for anyone to treat ordinary Muslims as scapegoats - as outrageous as it would have been to attack Roman Catholics on East Lancashire streets during the height of IRA mainland bombings.