Muslim leaders hit back in Hanley church 'damaged graves' row

The new owners of an historic Stoke-on-Trent church being converted into a mosque have hit back at critics - after being accused of damaging graves. Plans have been lodged to convert the Grade II*-listed St John's Church, in Hanley, back into a place of worship and community centre.

The Town Road church dates back to 1788 before it closed in the 1980s and up until 2020 was used as an antiques centre and tearoom. It was last year snapped up by The Darul Falah centre for £140,000.

But the project has been marred with controversy after a social media video appeared to show stacks of gravestones, some of them damaged, as external works were being carried out at the site. Stoke-on-Trent City Council says it has 'no evidence' of graves being disturbed.

READ: Council has 'no evidence' of disturbed graves at church being turned into mosque - Stoke-on-Trent City Council has once again visited St John's Church, in Hanley

READ: City centre church to become mosque and Islamic education centre - St John's Church in Town Road, Hanley, is to become the Darul Falah Centre

Now The Darul Falah centre has stressed that affected graves were already damaged and the work was carried out by English contractors.

In a social media post, St John's Church stated: "We need to address and clarify some serious allegations regarding the recent clean-up efforts at St John's Church. There have been claims that individuals of the Muslim faith deliberately damaged graves and headstones, but this is completely untrue.

"Due to the overgrown state and appearance of the site, we hired a contractor to tidy the area around the perimeter of the church and remove fly-tipped rubbish. During these clean-up efforts, several headstones were found lying flat on the ground. While some were intact, a few were discovered to be broken or damaged. The contractor was instructed to collect all headstones, including any broken pieces, and place them in storage at the rear of the church. Intact headstones have been laid on timber strips to prevent further damage.

"The few broken headstones were already broken and were either left on the site when the 130 graves were moved as part of the shopping centre development, or they were damaged during the interim period before the new owners purchased the building. The individuals who physically lifted and moved these headstones were English contractors, not Muslims. The council has confirmed that no graves have been disturbed and no deliberate damage has been caused to any historic artefacts during the clean-up efforts.

"We hope this clears up any confusion and reassures everyone of our commitment to respect and care for this sacred site. Please help us spread the truth and stand against misinformation. Thank you for your understanding and support."

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