Police have arrested a man in connection with an attack on a mosque in Co Down.
A petrol bomb was thrown at the Bangladesh Islamic Centre in Newtownards in the early hours of Saturday morning.
The device failed to ignite and was discovered in the car park by worshippers who had returned to their vehicles after reciting late night prayers.
On Sunday night, police revealed a 42-year-old man had been detained.
A PSNI spokesperson said: “Detectives investigating an attack on a mosque in Greenwell Street in Newtownards in the early hours of Saturday August 10 have arrested a man following searches at two properties in Newtownards on Sunday August 11.
“The man, aged 42, was arrested on suspicion of a number of offences including attempted arson, possessing a petrol bomb and attempted intimidation.
“He remains in police custody at this time.
“Enquiries are continuing and anyone with any information or footage that could assist the investigation is asked to contact police”.
Previously police said the centre, which in 2018 was targeted by loyalists dressed as the Ku Klux Klan, was attacked at around 1am on Saturday.
Footage of a culprit spraying graffiti on the building was caught on CCTV.
Abdul Rob, who attends the faith centre with four generations of his family, said his community is on edge.
“People are very scared, but no one is going to leave – this is how everyone feels.”
Speaking to Ulster Radio, he said some Muslims in the area are now scared to visit the mosque.
“Since this everyone is really scared to come – now [only] one or two people come to the prayer,” he said.
Abdul praised many locals who have come out to support his community, adding: “All the local people are saying they are sorry this happened to us, the are bringing down flowers and cake and biscuits and different things and they are saying, ‘We are very sorry’.”
Abdul the mosque has never experienced anything like the recent attack, adding: “That place has been there for over 30 years and we have not had anything like that problem, we have had small problems but not anything like that.”
He also urged anyone with issues with Muslims in the local community to speak to them instead of turning to violence.
“We don’t know what we have done wrong, if we have done anything wrong they are more than welcome to come and speak to us,” he said.
The Muslim Council of Northern Ireland condemned the latest attack and expressed “deep sorrow” over what it described as “mindless Islamophobic hate”.
“We know that those perpetrators represent only a small minority of individuals with a far right agenda which is detrimental to the prosperity of Northern Ireland,” a spokesperson said.
“We extend our warm gratitude for the overwhelming support received from all quarters including churches, MLAs and neighbours.”
It added: “We value our relationships with all communities and continue to work with relevant authorities on the betterment of society and to restore the friendly face of the Northern Irish Society which it is well known for.”
Mayor of Ards and North Down Alistair Cathcart also condemned Saturday’s attack.
“The mosque has been here in Ards for more than 20 years and its members are our neighbours, friends and colleagues,” he said.