The two men behind a viral video debunking a claim by the English Defence League and many media organisations about Deepdale being a ‘no go area’ for non-Muslims have reacted to its success.

Umar Ayub, who lives in Deepdale, has been taken aback by the outpouring of support.

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The short clip, which features Umar and his neighbour Robin Maudsley on the streets of Deepdale, has been viewed more than 160,000 times on Facebook.

Umar, who works at Preston Station, said: “I honestly thought that I’d probably at best get about 500 views, but wow, this has been awesome.

“Thank you everyone for your kind words and support. It’s pretty humbling.

“Through this I’ve seen friend requests from people I haven’t seen or spoken to in over 20 years.

“You guys are awesome. You’ve already inspired me to make my next video. Hopefully that should be done in a few days.”

Umar and Robin in the video

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Robin said Umar knocked on his door and asked him to be in the video.

He said: “I was very ill in Royal Preston about five weeks ago.

“I would not have been able to do the video without Umar and his family.

“I owe his family a great deal. They are an extension to my family and have been good neighbours.”

Hundreds of Blog Preston readers have been sharing the video clip, which includes a ‘kosher pub’, and commenting on their support for Umar’s presenting style.

The English Defence League has applied to Lancashire Police to hold a static demonstration in Preston on Saturday 20 February. They claim Preston is becoming ‘a creeping Sharia city’.

Have you watched the clip? What did you think? Do you live in Deepdale? Let us know in the comments below