Haverhill – Arrest made in connection with 2019 arson at mosque

A man has been arrested in connection with an incident of racially aggravated arson at a mosque in Haverhill, which occurred over five years ago.

The crime took place at around 11.45pm on Sunday 10 November 2019 at the Bevan House Mosque in Camps Road.

A window was smashed to gain entry to the building and a fire was deliberately started in one of the rooms used for prayer, where items including prayer mats and holy books were set alight.

Following a recent development in the case, on Friday 31 January police arrested a 23-year-old man from Haverhill on suspicion of arson. He was taken to Bury St Edmunds Police Investigation Centre for questioning and subsequently bailed until 27 April, pending further enquiries.

PC Jack Oakley said: “I attended this crime on the night it happened and not only did it cause significant damage to the building, it caused a huge amount of distress to the community who use the mosque.

“I hope this arrest demonstrates that despite the passage of time, we will continue to investigate crimes where new evidence comes to light.

“We believe there to be multiple suspects who were involved in this incident and as such, I would appeal for anyone with any information that could assist our enquiries to come forward.”

Anyone with information about this crime is asked to contact the Haverhill Community Policing Team, quoting reference: 37/68250/19.

Website: https://www.suffolk.police.uk/tell-us    

Email: [email protected]

Phone: Call 101

Alternatively, contact the independent charity Crimestoppers 100% anonymously on 0800 555 111, or via their online form: www.crimestoppers-uk.org

Please note in the event of an emergency you should always call 999