EXTRA police officers were drafted into Windsor last night after three nights of violent clashes over plans to build a mosque in the royal town.

Dozens of riot police have already been called in after gangs of youths armed with knives, baseball bats, iron bars and hammers fought pitched battles in a street near the proposed site.

A Muslim-run dairy next to the disused office building that businessman Sardar Hussain wants to redevelop as an Islamic centre was petrol-bombed, and three men have been arrested so far.

The Queen normally spends weekends at Windsor Castle, and last night no decision had been taken over whether she would change her plans.

The violence began on Monday night when about 30 white youths smashed the windows of 16 lorries at the Medina Dairy. On Tuesday 60 youths caused further damage to four lorries and on Wednesday a petrol bomb was thrown at the dairy by a youth on a scooter. Gangs of Asian youths took to the streets, according to local residents, chanting: “We are getting our mosque.”

Mr Hussain, a father of seven who runs the dairy, said he feared for his life when the building was attacked. He said: “We were very frightened when we saw smoke pouring from the front of the building. I grabbed a fire extinguisher and managed to stop the fire spreading.”

This week’s violence is the culmination of three years of discord between the predominantly white residents of the Dedworth area of the Berkshire town and Mr Hussain, who opened Medina Dairy on the site of an old Express Dairy in 2003. Residents have long complained that Mr Hussain has expanded the business so much that the noise of lorries, making deliveries at all hours, has become unbearable.

Mr Hussain is appealing against the council’s rejection of his scheme to build an Islamic centre next to the dairy, including a prayer room and classrooms to teach Arabic and English. He said that there is a real need for the centre.

John Holdstock, of West Windsor Residents Association, said that residents would do everything possible to block the plan.

Carol Reid, who lives near by, said that those in favour of the mosque were responsible for this week’s violence. She said: “The gangs of Asian kids were very intimidating and they obviously came from outside this area. I have lived here for 50 years and I’ve had enough so I’m trying to sell my house.”

Another resident, who did not want to be named, said yesterday: “There is no need for an Islamic centre in the middle of a predominantly white population. There are very few Muslims in this area and there is not enough space for parking. We are trying to stop it from a planning point of view but the teenagers round here are taking it into their own hands.”

Others have said that racism is behind the violence. The Rev Louise Brown, of All Saints Church, Dedworth, said that Mr Hussain was addressing complaints about his business, pointing out that he had put in a planning application for a sound-proofed warehouse.

Chief Superintendent Brian Langston, of Thames Valley Police also agreed that the violence had “racial undertones” and that two other petrol bombs had been discovered.

Knives and iron bars had also been found and were connected to staff at the dairy. He added: “This was not a riot in Windsor. It was a serious crime.” He confirmed that many of the youths were from outside the Windsor area and that police would continue to maintain a strong presence.

The Islamic Human Rights Commission said that the disturbances in Windsor were part of an “alarming upsurge” in attacks on Muslims during the holy month of Ramadan.

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