LONDON -- Hindu and Muslim community leaders Tuesday condemned suspected arson attacks overnight on four temples in the Midlands and called for restraint to prevent further incidents.
There were no casualties in any of the attacks, which came two days after the sacking of a mosque in northern India sparked communal rioting which has left more than 200 dead.
But in the worst attack a Hindu temple was almost completely gutted by fire in West Bromwich.
Ishtiaq Ahmed, of the Race Equality Council in Bradford, where a temple was attacked Monday, said, 'We condemn any act of violence intended to desecrate and damage places of worship or to cause injury to human life.
'We call on the government of India to take urgent steps to bring about a positive resolution of the issues in a manner which preserves the integrity of all those involved.'
The West Bromwich fire, the worst of the four attacks overnight, broke out shortly before 3 a.m. at the two-story Shree Krishna Hindu Temple in Old Meeting Street, fire officials said.
'More than 70 firefighters and 10 fire appliances were sent to deal with the blaze,' said Robert Hulland, divisisonal officer with the West Midlands Fire Service.
'The roof and part of the first floor collapsed,' he said. 'We have a fire investigation unit there, but our initial assessment is that it is suspicious.'
A temple official said, 'This was an act of sheer barbarism. But we are peaceful people and we are not looking for revenge. We will rebuild this temple. The whole community will help us rebuild it.'
That blaze came after two earlier fires in the West Midlands area. The first was shortly before midnight at a Hindu temple in Sampson Road, Birmingham, and involved a petrol bomb, he said.
The second was at 1.20 a.m., in Harnall Lane, Coventry, where a small quantity of material was set alight inside a temple.
The fourth attack of the night was on the Wishwa Hindu Parishad Hindu temple in Chorley Old Road, Bolton, Greater Manchester.
A plastic container with inflammable liquid inside was placed against the wooden front doors and set on fire. But it triggered an alarm and the fire service put it out, confining damage to the doors.
Superintendent David Clayton of West Midlands police said: 'We are treating these matters very seriously and investigations are under way to trace the offenders.
'We would appeal for calm within the community and ask people to come forward with any relevant information.'
A spokesman for the Community Relations Council in the West Midlands urged Asians living in the area to 'stay cool and control their feelings'.
The three incidents Tuesday came after fire bomb attacks Monday on Hindu temples in Derby and Bradford, and raised fears that inter- communal violence in India, Bangladesh and Pakistan could spread in Britain.
A joint statement by leaders of Hindu, Muslim and Christian communities in Derby affirmed their mutual respect for different faiths following meetings last night. 'We deplore attacks on sacred places and on those who follow other faiths,' they said.
At least 220 were killed and over 1,000 injured across India Monday in violence after Hindu zealots destroyed a ruined Muslim mosque in the northern city of Ayodhya.