A man has been charged after allegedly making online threats to carry out an "Oslo-style" bomb attack on Muslims.

Kenneth Graham Holden, 30, will appear before magistrates later this month charged with two counts of sending offensive, indecent, obscene or menacing messages or matters.

Police launched a probe after race-hate posts were allegedly made on Facebook in April this year.

Detectives discovered comments threatening a pipe bomb attack on Ocean Road, in South Shields , South Tyneside , inspired by the Norwegian mass murderer Anders Behring Breivik.

Right-wing extremist Breivik stood trial over the deaths of 77 people, eight in an Oslo bombing and 69 shot dead on Utoya Island.

Chief Insp Michael Barton, of South Tyneside Area Command, said they would not tolerate "racial incitement" on the internet.

Yesterday, a Northumbria Police spokesman said: "Kenneth Graham Holden, from Winskill Road, in South Shields, has been charged with two counts of sending offensive, obscene, indecent or menacing messages or matter."