Mosque leaders are increasingly becoming nervous and are moving towards hiring security guards and installing CCTV cameras to protect their congregation from a sudden rise in Islamaphobic attacks in the UK.

Fears where heightened when an Iman from Regents Park Mosque was hospitalised after an attack. The 58-year-old cleric, who is not named, suffered heavy blood loss and damage to both eyes and had to undergo emergency surgery. Metropolitan Police officers later arrested and charged Ryan Donegan with committing grievous bodily harm.

The Muslim Council of Britain cited the “growing anti-Muslim atmosphere” for the beefing up of security, saying there were concerns that ordinary Muslims were being targeted because of the actions of extremists. The Council said that there had been a surge in violent attacks on mosques and Imams around the UK.

Inayat Bunglawala, the assistant secretary-general of the MCB, said that there was a “real sense of concern and even fear” among Muslims.

Shaykh Ibrahim Mogra, the chairman of the Inter-Faith Relations Committee, said that he was shocked when fearful worshippers asked him to install security guards at the Leicester mosque where he acts as Imam.

A spokeswoman for the government department responsible for race and community relations said: “Any crime motivated by a prejudice against a person’s race or religion is deplorable and we are committed to doing all we can to support the police in this matter.”

The MCB spokesman added “It is deeply regrettable that sections of our media have been playing a key role in fermenting much of this Islamophobic prejudice and hatred against British Muslims.”