POLICE have arrested a man in connection with a suspected hate crime against Jehovah’s Witnesses in Minehead.

They appealed for any information from the public last week after damage was caused to the Kingdom Hall in Mart Road.

Now, Avon and Somerset Constabulary has confirmed a man aged in his fifties was arrested on Tuesday (February 23) on suspicion of a religiously-motivated public order offence and criminal damage to the Christian place of worship.

He was questioned by officers and was later released on bail, with conditions preventing him from visiting certain areas of Minehead.

The Kingdom Hall letterbox was damaged with paint, and a threatening letter and dog faeces were dropped inside some time between Sunday and Tuesday, February 15 to 17, while a vehicle was attacked overnight on Tuesday-Wednesday and daubed with symbols associated with the political far right.

The circumstances led police to consider there was a ‘hateful intent’ behind the crimes.

Over the following days, other incidents of offensive graffiti appearing in Minehead were also reported to the force.

Police officers have carried out extra reassurance patrols in the town since the incidents.

Detectives investigating the offences are continuing to ask for anybody with information or CCTV or dashcam footage to contact them online or by calling 101 and quoting reference number 5226045306.