One of the leading lights of Oxford's new Islamic Centre says he has received racist hate mail.

Dr David Browning, registrar of the Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies, claims to have received abusive letters with racist overtones from people who do not want the new Islamic Centre, off Marston Road, to be built.

He has not reported the matter to police.

The news comes after the Oxford Mail revealed last week how Lord Mayor Maureen Christian had been bombarded with "nasty letters" from a fundamentalist Christian group after she used her casting vote to grant the centre planning permission.

A sign erected three weeks ago where the centre will be built showing how it will look has been defaced by vandals who have thrown a brick or rock through it.

Dr Browning said: "If someone has thrown a rock at it, I think it is sad but it does not surprise me.

"The Lord Mayor is not the only person to receive letters attacking her. I have received them also.

"Over a number of years I have received these letters. There are all obviously ill-informed and most of them go straight into the waste paper basket."

He confirmed the letters were racist in tone.

He added: "The attacks that have been made I would regard as the ill-informed views of a small but very vociferous minority."

Residents opposing the Islamic Centre failed in their High Court bid to stop planning permission being granted in December. The council voted the bid through on July 17 on Mrs Christian's casting vote.

Backed by King Fahd of Saudi Arabia with funds of 20m, the centre will be the new home of the Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies, which now occupies a building at the corner of Cornmarket Street and George Street. The centre is an associate institution to Oxford University, but not formally part of it.

The plans include a prayer room, but the new centre will not be a Mosque.

Dr Browning said: "Anyone who wants to get an idea of what the centre does, is always welcome to the centre, which is open to all."