Saturday, November 5 2005 12:05 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

London: Tension gripped the central English city of Birmingham after dozens of Muslim gravestones were vandalised at a cemetery there, triggering concerns about fresh race riots.

The desecration of up to 45 gravestones was discovered yesterday (Nov 04, 2005) morning by relatives visiting the Muslim part of Handsworth Cemetery in Birmingham. Leaflets from a group calling itself 'Black Nation' were left at the graves.

The incident follows violence between Asian and black youths in the Lozells area of Birmingham last month, provoked by an unsubstantiated claim that a 14-year-old black girl had been raped by a gang of Asians. One man was killed and scores injured.

No evidence has been found to support the rape allegation, which appeared to have started on a pirate radio station, despite intensive police inquiries.

Some of the youths said last night that the destruction of the gravestones would lead to trouble.

West Midlands police said extra officers would be on duty in the Lozells area during the weekend in case of any more trouble.

Khalid Mahmood, the Labour MP for Perry Barr in Birmingham who visited the cemetery shortly after the incident, said: "These are disgraceful events, deliberately done to entice people.

"They are definitely trying to cause more problems, particularly on this day (the festival of Eid al-Fitr) when Muslim people are coming to pay their respects."

On the other hand, police and a black news website, Blink, said they had never heard of 'Black Nation' and that the attack could have been the work of the far Right, trying to provoke violence between African-Caribbean and Asian youths.

When asked if he had heard of 'Black Nation', Superintendent Tom Coughlin, from West Midlands Police, said, "That name means nothing to me at all."

He said that officers would be investigating whether it was the work of another group trying to start trouble between the black and Asian community.

A police spokeswoman said, "This is being treated as racially aggravated criminal damage and police have cleared away leaflets found at the scene containing racially offensive material.

"We believe this is the activity of a few individuals and are urging people not to retaliate", she said.