Fury as Islamic extremist who abused British troops is given 24-hour police protection

Yousaf Bashir was part of a gang that hurled abuse at 200 members of the Royal Anglian Regiment as they marched through Luton last Tuesday after a second tour of duty in Iraq.

The moves comes after the semi-detached home Bashir shares with his parents was attacked on Friday.

Outrage: Yousaf Bashir, centre, shouts abuse as soldiers returning from their second tour of Iraq parade through Luton. He has now been given 24-hour police protection after his home was attacked

Two downstairs windows and the glass in the front door were smashed, and the rear windows of two cars parked in the driveway were shattered.
Two police officers have been stationed in a marked car outside the property since the attacks and a CCTV camera has also been installed.

A crowd of protesters caused outrage among other Luton residents who had assembled in their hundreds to show support for the 2nd Batallion of the Royal Anglians, nicknamed The Poachers.
Bashir and his friends shouted abuse and waved placards calling the soldiers 'The Butchers of Basra', 'criminals, murderers, terrorists' and 'baby killers'.

Two lines of police had to be deployed after the crowd turned on the protesters.
In a show of solidarity for the soldiers, seven of Mr Bashir's neighbours decorated their homes with Union Jack flags.

Kevin Hattle, 52, said: 'I am appalled. I work hard and pay an awful lot of taxes and do not get looked after like this.
'My shed was broken into and a motorbike was stolen, but the police did not come out for that.
'He has put us all in jeopardy and gets all this protection on a plate. The cost will be astronomical.'

Another neighbour said: 'I bet if some white racist had his windows put in Bedfordshire police would not be round here giving him round the clock protection as if he was a member of the Royal Family.

'He is supposed to hate this country, but it calling on it to protect him.'
A Bedfordshire police spokeswoman told The Sun: 'We increased patrols in the area as a result of an attack on the house which took place some time between late Friday and early Saturday.'

Tory MP and ex- army officer Patrick Mercer blasted: “You have to wonder whether police time wouldn’t have been better spent countering terrorism than protecting its sympathisers.”

The protest was condemned by Prime Minister Gordon Brown.

An 18-year-old man from Luton was charged with racially aggravated harassment, involving verbal abuse. He will appear before magistrates this week.

A second man, in his 40s, was issued with a fixed penalty notice. None of the Muslim protesters was arrested.