BOGUS notices for a mosque planning application in Burnley could be deliberate provocation at a time of racial fears caused by recent nail bomb attacks and a national neo-Nazi terror campaign.

The two official looking notices with Burnley Council's logo were found on posts on spare land in the Kibble Bank area.

Concerned residents reported them to planning chairman and local councillor Stephen Large. When they went back the notices had vanished, just as mysteriously as they had appeared.

Coun Large, a ward councillor in Lanehead said: "It is a worrying development in light of what has been happening nationally.

"If it was a hoax it was foolish and in very bad taste. If it was not a hoax then it can only be seen as deliberate provocation.''

He said the two notices were official looking, typed out sheets with the official Burnley Council logo and covered in transparent plastic. He said: "People rang me to ask about the planning application for a mosque on land behind Underley Street and down towards the Black Bull Hotel car park.

"It even referred to planning permission being sought for speakers to call people to prayer and to use the land lower down as a car park.

"There are very few people of Asian origin living in the area and concerned residents wanted to know what was happening.''

Coun Large is chairman of Burnley's planning and environment committee and development control and highways committee.

He knew that no such application had been made and reported his worries to the police.

Residents again raised their concerns at a public meeting in Kibble Bank last night.

Coun Large said: "I was able to tell them that no such application had been made and that the situation had been reported to the police straight away.''

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