A SENIOR police officer is meeting with community leaders and councillors in Brierfield this weekend in a bid to calm tensions in the town following petrol bomb attacks on a church.

Inspector Stuart Harman, who is in charge of policing in the town, is appealing to people to stay calm and to help catch those responsible for throwing petrol bombs at the Full Gospel Mission Church, Stanley Street, on two nights this week.

Mr Harman said he wanted to meet community leaders and councillors today and tomorrow to reassure them that police are doing all they can to bring those responsible for the attack to justice.

"We are keeping our minds open with a view to the identity of the offenders," he said. "Obviously we are treating this very seriously. It is a serious matter and we are doing all we can to identify those people responsible through all means available to us."

Mr Harman said the issue affected all sections of the community in Brierfield. "The community needs to work together because this kind of behaviour is unacceptable. Clearly there is tension because of this incident and we would appeal to people to be calm and rational. The community, white and Asian, has to join together to support each other and say loud and clear this kind of behaviour will not be tolerated."

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