POLICE in Manchester were told not to carry out planned arrests at prayer times during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

Officers working in the metropolitan division were sent an email which contained a religious timetable with a note saying: "Ramadan: During the following times, it is requested that you do not serve warrants, etc, in order to observe the religious significance of Ramadan."

The original message has angered some officers at Greater Manchester Police.

It is understood the memo was advising that these operations were scheduled around prayer times during Ramadan.

One serving policeman, who did not wish to be named, said: "This was from the same police division and command structure that only last year, in an effort to reduce outstanding warrants, sent letters out just before Christmas to persons with outstanding warrants, making veiled threats that if they did not hand themselves in, they would be facing the threat of spending Christmas in jail.

"I wonder if we will be extending the same courtesy to all the other varied religions. Will we have to stop arresting anyone from the Jewish community on their Sabbath? Will we then withhold from carrying out any operations on the Christian community on a Sunday?

"Will we abstain from actioning any operation on the Catholic community during Lent?

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