The Finsbury Park Mosque

Finsbury Park Mosque has stepped up the fight against youth crime by donating 30 books to a local school.

The interactive workbooks, entitled The Bad Apples: Let’s talk about Anti-social Behaviour, will be sent to Ambler Primary School, in Blackstock Road, to help pupils respond to nuisance behaviour such as littering, drunkenness and vandalism.

The mosque, formerly the North London Central Mosque, had a bad reputation when radical preacher Abu Hamza was based there a decade ago.

Since the current owners took over in 2005, they have worked hard to foster a responsible image, with this book donation the latest in a series of community projects.

Mohammed Kozbar, trustee of Finsbury Park Mosque, said: “It is important that charities like ours contribute to their local community to tackle issues such as the anti-social behaviour and try to contribute toward community cohesion and build a peaceful atmosphere within the society”.

The books have been produced by the Police Community Clubs of Great Britain and have so far been delivered to more than 250,000 children nationwide.

They follow the story of Barney Eagle and Echo Squirrel as they encounter various anti-social incidents.