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"Nearly 40 percent of registered voters in Oldham County have already cast a ballot . . ."

Christian pupils are now outnumbered by Muslims at Roman Catholic schools in some parts of England A survey has found 24 Catholic primary schools in the North West and the Midlands teach a minority of churchgoing children. Fewer than one in 10 children are Catholic at one school in Birmingham, while the Church is ending its involvement with a similar establishment in Blackburn. Overall, Catholics make up 73.34 per cent of pupils at the 2,300 schools linked to the denomination across England and Wales. But The Tablet, a weekly Catholic magazine, found that in Oldham, Blackburn, Wolverhampton and Birmingham there...

The crumbling shame of our town hall Reporter: by Janice Barker Date online: 04/09/2008 Oldham Town Hall is only months away from a major roof collapse and a heavy snowfall this winter could see it off. It would cost £25 million to £30 million to restore its roof, walls and interior so the grade II listed building could be put to any use. Chunks of masonry are falling from the ceilings on a daily basis and heavy cast-iron decoration is breaking away from balconies. Fireplaces, brass door decorations, furniture and plaster mouldings have been plundered, and the floors are littered...

Extremists are winning the battle for the hearts and minds of Britain's young Muslims, a disturbing police report warns. Increasing numbers have become so alienated from mainstream society that they could even lend their support to jihadi terrorism, the study claims. While most reject violence, many distrust police and are reluctant to inform on extremists. The report was commissioned by the Association of Chief Police Officers (Acpo) after last year's failed bomb attacks in London's West End and at Glasgow Airport. It is to be discussed at Acpo's annual conference this week. In the most comprehensive research of its kind...

Hardline takeover of British mosques       Andrew Norfolk   Almost half of Britain’s mosques are under the control of a hardline Islamic sect whose leading preacher loathes Western values and has called on Muslims to “shed blood” for Allah, an investigation by The Times has found. Riyadh ul Haq, who supports armed jihad and preaches contempt for Jews, Christians and Hindus, is in line to become the spiritual leader of the Deobandi sect in Britain. The ultra-conservative movement, which gave birth to the Taleban in Afghanistan, now runs more than 600 of Britain’s 1,350 mosques, according to...