A man has been arrested in connection with posters urging people to ‘punish a Muslim’.

Officers from Counter Terrorism Policing North East arrested a 35-year-old man in connection with an ongoing investigation into offensive communications.

The man from south Lincoln is currently being questioned at a West Yorkshire police station.

Hate-fuelled letters, sent to people in West Yorkshire and elsewhere in March, encouraged people to assault, torture and ‘butcher’ Muslims and ‘burn or bomb’ a mosque.

The poster lists a sick points system for increasingly serious offences against Muslims such as 10 points to “verbally abuse a Muslim"

A spokesperson for the North East Counter Terror Unit said the main had been arrested on suspicion of three offences – sending a hoax noxious substance; sending letters/communications/articles conveying a threatening message and conspiring and soliciting to commit murder.

Searches have taken place at a residential property in south Lincoln and an office building in the city centre by Lincolnshire Police.

The spokesperson added: “We understand that people may be concerned following this activity. However, we would like to reassure communities that this activity is a result of an ongoing, intelligence-led investigation and was not in response to an immediate threat.”