AN Islamic community has vowed to continue its fight for a Clitheroe mosque, after two separate fire attacks in a week on the building it proposes to use and a series of planning setbacks.

The attacks on the terrace house in Holden Street, where Muslims want to create the mosque, damaged the inside of the building and caused extensive damage to a car owned by Abid Ali, who lives next door.

The house is used as an Islamic Education Centre attended daily by up to 20 children from Clitheroe's small Muslim community.

The centre, which has remained open, teaches the Islamic faith to youngsters after school.

Now, community leaders are calling for calm, after concerned parents said they were afraid to send their children to the centre.

Community leader Mohammed Sarfraz, said: "Many of the parents are afraid to send their children here after the fire attacks. We are appealing for calm and are determined to carry on. "We won't let something like this stop us. We have advised parents to keep coming and won't close the centre because of these setbacks."

Ribble Valley Council's planning committee recently rejected plans for a mosque at the site for the second time, by six votes to five.

More than 200 local residents had objected to the scheme on the grounds it would lead to increased traffic and noise.

An appeal against the first refusal was not determined, due to a technicality, but the town's Islamic community has vowed to fight on. Mr Sarfraz continued: "We have lodged a second appeal, which will be determined in due course. All we want is a suitable place of worship."

Abid Ali, whose Honda car was damaged, said: "I'm frightened for the safety of my children and wife. They're not used to this trouble. I have lived in Clitheroe most of my life and ran a nearby shop. In all that time, I have never experienced any problems." Firefighters discovered a burning tyre and rolled up magazine had been thrown through the windows of the building in the early hours of Friday.

The Honda car was burnt out and it took firefighters two hours to put out the blaze in the early hours of Monday.

Two men have been charged with arson and bailed to appear before Blackburn magistrates at the weekend.