‘Only open if you are an expert in the Quran’ – bomb scare sparked after suspect package left at SS Peter and St Paul’s Church, in The Green, Chingford

Chingford is the nicer area to the north of Islamic Leyton and Walthamstow within the London Borough of Waltham Forest. It was a hoax, although whether perpetrated by Islamics, anti-church campaigners or just silly people we will probably never know as the police are not investigating as no offence was committed. From the Waltham Forest Guardian

A BOMB scare was sparked after a package marked ‘only open if you are expert in the Quran’ was left in a church. 

olice were called to SS Peter and St Paul’s Church, in The Green, Chingford, at 9.10pm last night. The medium sized package was marked: ‘Please do not read unless you are an expert on the Quran. Very seriously dangerous. Please.’ The Metropolitan Police were called and found the package, left on the doorstep of the church, to be a bible wrapped inside a white tea towel.  

The package was found at a Zumba class held at the church every week.

Reverend Andy Trennier, in charge of the parish, told the Guardian Series: “It was a pretty distressing prank. There was a moment when we didn’t know what it was which was pretty worrying, but it comes with the territory of being an urban church. . . Things like this aren’t going to make a difference to us. The best way to make the church safe is to keep it open and free.”

Police say they are not investigating as no offence was committed.

The comments get to the reason this is a relevant news item. Had a hoax prank been played on a mosque it would have been a serious matter indeed. 

ChingfordMan11:09am Tue 27 Sep 16 The police say ‘No offence was committed’ ?!
Can the police then confirm that it’s ok for me to leave a suspect package marked ‘Dangerous’ in a mosque? Would be interested to hear their views on this…!

Miles D’i Stuam  ChingfordMan11:17am Tue 27 Sep 16 Well said! You’d be charged with a ‘hate crime’ – and it appears that that particular offence only applies to ‘phobes and whites.

Eraser of Love 12:22pm Tue 27 Sep 16

A Suspect Package Found at a Christian Church :
‘A harmless Hoax’. ‘No Offence Committed’. Nothing to see here.Please Move Along quickly and go about your Daily Business. You Will be Reported for subversive behaviour.

Work Hard. Be Productive. Be Happy.
End of State Communication .

A Suspect Package found at a Mosque :
A Malicious Hate Crime. Be Vigilant. Report all unusual activity to your Regional THX 1138 Race Hate crime Center, formerly known as Police Stations before the 23rd of June 2016. Do Your Duty. Report All thought Crime .

Work Hard. Be Productive . Be Happy.
End Of State Communication.

kevster1004:37pm Tue 27 Sep 16 Can the Guardian do something useful with this incident and ask of the police to explain publically why this suspect bomb package with danger written all over it does not constitute a crime. Have they found out who the perpetrator is ? Seems not, so how do the police know this is not racially motivated and God help them if the perpetrator strikes again