POLICE patrols have been stepped up around mosques and Muslim communities in Scotland amid fears of a racist backlash in the wake of the London bombings.

The greater police visibility in Edinburgh follows an unprovoked attack on a teenage Asian boy, who was beaten up on a busy street in broad daylight by a white skinhead who shouted racist abuse.

The 16-year-old boy, who has not been named, was with an 11-year-old friend on Leith Walk when the man began shouting at them at about 2pm on Tuesday. The man then punched the older boy repeatedly, knocking him to the ground, before running off when an elderly Asian man intervened.

The teenager was taken to Edinburgh Royal Infirmary with a suspected fractured cheekbone, bruising and cuts. Police are appealing for witnesses.

The assault follows attacks on the Shah Jalal Mosque in the city and a Pakistani community centre, both of which were defaced with racist graffiti last Thursday. Doors were daubed with the words “Islam Scum” and “This centre sympathises with terrorists”.

Police, who described the attacks as appalling, said that reports of verbal abuse against Asians had increased in the past week in Edinburgh and Glasgow, home to Scotland’s largest Asian communities.

Muslim leaders warned the Asian community yesterday to be on guard and to report any racial incidents to officers.

Lothian and Borders Police said there was no evidence to suggest that the attack on the teenage boy was linked to the London bombings. However, Superintendent George Simpson said: “These incidents are appalling and there is no space for this behaviour in the democratic society we live in.

“In the wake of the London bombing we have made contact with all vulnerable premises in our area. We are providing patrols and regular checks of these premises on a daily basis, and we want to hear from anyone who has been a victim of a racial attack.”

Mazhar Khan, Edinburgh spokesman for the Islamic Society of Britain, said the assault on the boy and the graffiti attacks were a real concern for all Muslims. “We don’t want a repeat of the Islamophobia after September 11 but sadly I fear we will feel the repercussions of the London bombs,” he said.

“We were numb with shock just like everyone else when we heard about the atrocities but innocent Muslims should not suffer because of a small bunch of lunatics. They have tainted the Muslim community and I advise all Asians to be vigilant and report any racial harassment to the police.”

The Muslim Association of Britain issued a statement urging “all communities to join hands in order to thwart any attempt to disrupt the peace and undermine the harmony we have enjoyed despite our diverse races, colours and creeds”. The association advised Muslims to co-operate with the security services and offer police a “helping hand” to prevent any future bomb attacks. The statement said that once the profiles of the bombers were fully established, Muslim communities had an “obligation to assess whether there was something we could have done to prevent these attacks and to prevent such attacks in future.”

Osama Saeed, the association’s Scottish spokesman, said that the community was fearful. “The actions of these young men has put the community under the cosh just when we thought we were putting 9/11 behind us.”

A prayer vigil for the victims of the London bombings, organised by the association and involving Christian churches, will take place in Glasgow’s George Square, on Sunday. The annual Mela in Glasgow, an Asian festival involving Muslims, Sikhs and Hindus, will take place this weekend as planned.

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