A founding member of the Muslim Public Affairs Committee UK urged people to share his bizarre Facebook post about a shoe that went missing while he slept.

However, while the post was indeed shared, hundreds of times, Asghar Bukhari did not get the response he might have intended.

Within hours, the hashtag #Mossadstolemyshoe was trending on Twitter, in a reference to the Israeli counter terrorism unit. However, Mr Bukhari claimed the fact that he was being mocked amounted to “intimidation of Muslim speakers” – for which he blamed Zionists.

He posted his original message on Facebook on Friday along with an image of a boy wearing just one shoe. It was headlined: “Are Zionists trying to intimidate me?”

Mr Bukhari wrote: “Someone came into my home yesterday, while I was asleep. I don’t know how they got in, but they didn't break in - the only thing they took was one shoe.”

The campaigner claimed “they left one shoe behind to let me know someone had been there". He added: “Of course I can't prove anything and that’s part of the intimidation. The game is simple - to make me feel vulnerable in my own home.”

He went on to write: “It is not the first time I have heard this happening. I have had another Muslim leader call me a year or so ago, in tears - she told me they had been coming into her house and re-arranging things - just to let her know they had been there.”

He suggested: “Share this widely, for if it is happening to me, I am sure it happening to many, many others who have not exposed it.”