UK mosques allotted record security funding from hate crime scheme

The Home Office set up a rapid response process after the knife attack in Southport to provide extra security and support for Muslim communities. Photograph: Jonathan Brady/PA

A record amount of security funding has been issued to mosques in the UK via a government scheme to protect places of worship from hate crime.

According to figures obtained by the Guardian via freedom of information requests, almost £3m was issued to mosques and associated sites under the places of worship security scheme from April 2022 to April 2023, a significant increase from the just over £73,000 issued between 2016 and 2017.