SPECIAL officers are being drafted in to police a council meeting in Clitheroe tomorrow as the chairman of the town's Islamic Education Centre spoke of his fears after the building was attacked for the second time.

They will attend a meeting of Ribble Valley Council's planning and development committee when it considers plans to build a mosque at the back of the Holden Street centre.

The plan has been recommended for approval by planning officers, but residents objecting to the scheme are expected to turn out. A four-year bid to build the mosque at the back of the centre appeared to end in April, when an appeal against refusal of an earlier plan was dismissed by the Government's Planning Inspectorate.

In the early hours of Monday the Islamic Education Centre was attacked and its front window smashed.

A Clitheroe man was convicted of arson last July after setting fire to the building, although the two incidents are not thought to be related.

Chief Insp Bob Ford, head of community safety at Lancashire Constabulary's Eastern Division, said: "We will not tolerate any racist or anti-social behaviour."

Chairman of the centre, Farouq Hussain, said: "We believe this is a racially motivated attack, as it happened in the same week as the planning meeting. We have cancelled children's classes at the centre due to fears for their safety.

Ward councillor David Berryman, today described the attack as cowardly.

He said: "I feel sorry for the Muslims, who have found themselves subjected to these attacks. I appeal for people to calm down."