Arrest made after man allegedly burns Koran

A MAN has been arrested after a Koran was allegedly burned during an anti-Islam rant.

The arrest came after a man was reported to have stood on a street in Carlisle city centre on Wednesday, loudly making pronouncements against the Muslim religion in front of a large crowd.

The man is then alleged to have set fire to a Koran he was holding, before discarding it and hurrying away. Police arrived a short time later.

A spokesman for Cumbria Police confirmed that a 32-year-old man had been arrested.

The incident came as controversial American preacher Pastor Terry Jones said he was disappointed to be barred from the United Kingdom, calling his exclusion from the country "unfair".

The preacher sparked outrage when he announced plans by his Florida-based church to burn copies of the Koran to mark the anniversary of the 9/11 attacks on the United States.

Mr Jones had accepted an invitation to speak to a group called England Is Ours next month. Speaking after the Home Office announced it would not allow him to enter the UK, he insisted he was not against Muslims or Islam, only the "radical element of Islam".

A Home Office spokesman said: "The government opposes extremism in all its forms, which is why we have excluded Pastor Terry Jones from the UK."

Mr Jones's son, Pastor Luke Jones, expressed surprise that his father's visit had been banned.

He said: "Our protests are against a book, the Koran - people are not our target. We should all be able to voice our opinion in a peaceful way."