A man has been arrested after two pigs’ heads were dumped outside an Islamic school in Lancashire. Police said the 28-year-old was held on suspicion of racially-aggravated provocation following the incident at Markazul Uloom Girls’ School in Blackburn. Detectives launched a hate crime investigation and scoured CCTV footage after the animal remains were left at the boarding school in December. One of the heads is understood to have been left by the gates, while the other was thrown over the walls.
The incident outraged religious, political and community leaders, led by the Bishop of Blackburn Julian Henderson. A Lancashire Police spokeswoman said: “I can confirm that a 28-year-old man from Darwen has been arrested on suspicion of racially-aggravated provocation and has been bailed until February 16.”
Officers stepped up patrols in the area to quell community concerns after the pig heads were left at the gates of the school just before Christmas. Eating pork is forbidden in Islam and Lancashire Police said the incident was being treated as a hate crime.
