Muslim community leaders in Britain are outraged about MI5’s plans to recruit informers to help prevent terror attacks: Muslim moles condemned.

MUSLIM community leaders have attacked a drive by Britain’s secret police to recruit north west Asians as spies and informers.

The internal security service, MI5, is to set up “intelligence cells” aimed at bringing the so-called war against terrorism into the region’s towns and cities where Muslim communities exist.

MI5 officers will work closely with special branch police officers attached to local police forces.

The cells are also likely to be responsible for recruiting Muslims as informants for MI5. The MI5 website already encourages Muslims to help in the fight against terrorism and calls on Arabic speakers to join the agency.

A pilot scheme for setting up regional bases is expected to be established this summer. MI5 is currently looking for premises in the north west.

The move into the north west, as well as the west midlands by MI5, reflects a growing belief that the threat to Britain’s security comes from within the UK.

But many community leaders claim the spying will create fear in the Muslim community and further isolate it from the rest of UK society.

The chairman of the Lancashire Council of Mosques, Ibrahim Master, said his organisation was surprised and shocked at the measure. He said: “We do not believe the Muslim community are a threat to the national security of Briton. Such fears are totally unfounded. We are law abiding citizens. Such Islamaphobic measures tarnish the image of Muslims and further undermine the excellent race relations we have here in Lancashire.”