A Muslim man was assaulted outside a Tooting mosque last night, just days after a Muslim pensioner died following a racially motivated attack outside another mosque less than a mile away.

Police described last night’s attack as a race hate crime but said both incidents, which have come during the Islamic holy month of Ramadan and involved groups of youths, were not being linked.

Tonight, Islamic leaders in Tooting held an emergency meeting to discuss community safety.

Police said a 30-year-old man was approached by a gang, one of whom assaulted him with a weapon, about 10.15pm last night as he left the Gatton Road Mosque, in Gatton Road, Tooting.

He was taken to hospital with head injuries but was later discharged.

Police, who have sent a weapon recovered at the scene for forensic testing, have made no arrests but said the suspect was a black teenager.

Retired care worker Ekram Haque, 67, died in hospital on Monday after he was beaten unconscious in front of his three-year-old granddaughter.

Mr Haque, and two other Asian men, were attacked outside the Idara-e-Jafferiya mosque in Church Lane, Tooting on August 31.

Police are looking for a group of black youths in connection with that incident.

Anyone with information on any attack should contact police on0300 123 1212 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 anonymously.

Four teenagers from the Tooting area appeared in youth court on Tuesday in connection with the August 31 incident. A 15-year-old and two 14-year-olds were charged with the murder of Mr Haque and two counts of ABH. The fourth boy, aged 12 was charged with conspiracy to commit GBH and two counts of assault.

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