An Islamic group based in Trowbridge has welcomed the news that a radical Islamic group that planned a march through Wootton Bassett will be banned under counter-terrorism laws.

The Wiltshire Islamic Cultural Centre, set up in September 2008 to serve the educational, social and moral needs of the growing Muslim community in Wiltshire and to reach out to the wider community, said the radical Islam4UK group had ‘tarnished the name of Islam’.

Wali Rahman, secretary of WICC said: “I think it is a good idea because firstly the group itself has been aligned with the extremist group Al-Muhajiroon which itself was banned last year.

“But also the fact that it does not represent the vast majority of Muslims in the UK. They haven’t done anything except tarnish the name of Islam and damage relations between communities.”

He said he was thankful that relations between Muslims and the rest of the community in Trowbridge were still good, but said he had seen hateful remarks on websites after Islam4UK announced its plans for the march. “We, along with other Muslim community groups around the UK, were quick to condemn it so that helped I think,” he added.

The WICC holds talks in schools and businesses about Islam as well as visiting councils, hospitals and prisons to speak to them about Islam and running an Islamic Sunday school in Trowbridge.