Ker-ching! Mosque gets £10 for each far right protester

We supply dozens of local traders - Call 01634 843148 Twelve members of Britain First staged a peaceful protest outside Maidstone Mosque on Saturday – and inadvertently raised £120 towards the construction of a new one.

Waving union jack flags, the far right group gathered against plans to build what it calls a “mega mosque” in Kent’s county town.

But rival group the Maidstone Anti-Racist Network promised to donate £10 to the development fund for every Britain First member who turned up to demonstrate.

The money will go towards replacing the current centre in Mote Road with a three-storey complex of classrooms, library, offices, kitchen, three shops and a flat.

Britain First leader Paul Golding insisted it had been a successful protest with “loads of support – beeping and cheering”.

In a live Facebook broadcast he said: “We will not stop until these mega mosque plans have been scrapped by the council.”

He accused councillors of sitting in “ivory towers” and passing proposals “without a whimper of opposition” and warned: “If you are a councillor who passes any proposals for any type of mega mosque then we will hold you personally responsible.”

When his four-minute piece to camera was interrupted by car horns he continued: “As you can see, the people of Maidstone do not want this mega mosque. Enough is enough.”

He said money donated to the redeveloped mosque was coming from extreme Islamic states in the Middle East and complained: “There is not a single church in the whole of Saudi Arabia.”

Helen Grant, Maidstone and the Weald MP said the mosque redevelopment application attracted 150 supportive public comments and the centre welcomes all faiths.

“So how dare these individuals come to our town and say this isn’t wanted. Members and supporters of Britain First, enjoy the sewers in which you live and breathe, but don’t bother coming to Maidstone, your stench is not welcome here.”

A spokesman for Maidstone Anti-Racist Network said: “We would like to thank Britain First for helping donate £200 to the redevelopment of Maidstone Mosque.

“We will continue to respond to the increasing threats towards Muslims in Maidstone.

“[Our] group was created to peacefully counter racist groups when they try to intimidate Muslims here.”

Images from Britain First’s Facebook video of Maidstone mosque protest and their leader Paul Golding, speaking to the camera and acknowledging beeping cars

Maidstone Mosque has submitted plans to demolish and rebuild its current site; above, Helen Grant and a member of Maidstone Mosque looking at the plans