Communities Secretary Eric Pickles has been challenged by Muslims for writing to mosques in England urging them to do more to root out extremists and prevent young people being radicalised.

In a letter sent to more than 1,000 Islamic leaders, Mr Pickles stressed that he was "proud" of the way Muslims in Britain had responded to the Paris terror attacks but added that there was "more work to do".

The Muslim Council of Britain said it wanted Mr Pickles to clarify his request - and asked if, like "members of the far right", he was suggesting that Islam is inherently apart from British society.

Deputy secretary-general Harun Khan said: "We will be writing to Mr Eric Pickles to ask that he clarifies his request to Muslims to 'explain and demonstrate how faith in Islam can be part of British identity'.

"Is Mr Pickles seriously suggesting, as do members of the far right, that Muslims and Islam are inherently apart from British society?"

In the letter, also signed by Communities Minister Lord Ahmad, Mr Pickles wrote: "You, as faith leaders, are in a unique position in our society. You have a precious opportunity, and an important responsibility, in explaining and demonstrating how faith in Islam can be part of British identity.

"We believe together we have an opportunity to demonstrate the true nature of British Islam today. There is a need to lay out more clearly than ever before what being a British Muslim means today: proud of your faith and proud of your country. We know that acts of extremism are not representative of Islam, but we need to show what is."

News of the letter emerged as the Metropolitan Police announced that they had increased security around their buildings and bolstered the number of firearms officers available.

Home Secretary Theresa May also promised to increase the Government's efforts to tackle the terrorist threat and a "chilling" rise in anti-Semitism.

Mr Pickles and Lord Ahmad's letter added: "We must show our young people, who may be targeted, that extremists have nothing to offer them. We must show them that there are other ways to express disagreement, that their right to do so is dependent on the very freedoms that extremists seek to destroy.

"We must show them the multitude of statements of condemnation from British Muslims, show them these men of hate have no place in our mosques or any place of worship, and that they do not speak for Muslims in Britain or anywhere in the world.

"Let us assure you that the Government will do all we can to defeat the voices of division, but ultimately the challenges of integration and radicalisation cannot be solved from Whitehall alone. Strong community-based leadership at a local level is needed."

The ministers said "British values are Muslim values", and the country would be "diminished" without Islam and its "message of peace and unity".

"Every day, mosques and other faith institutions across the country are providing help for those in need, and acting as a centre for our communities," the letter said.

"It is these positive contributions that are the true messages of faith and it is these contributions that need to be promoted."

Mr Pickles and Lord Ahmad reassured the leaders that they had been in touch with police chiefs "to make sure they are providing the support that mosques need, a concern that some of you have expressed in our recent discussions".

Lord Ahmad rejected Mr Khan's criticism and insisted the letter was clear.

"I think his response is disappointing," he told the BBC Radio 4 Today programme.

"Within the letter there is an explicit paragraph that says British values are Muslim values. You can't be more explicit than that.

"Perhaps he wasn't clear in what the letter said but if you have seen a copy of the letter ... it has been pretty explicit that we want to work together with the Muslim community.

"This was about reassurance, it was about recognising, as Theresa May said only yesterday, that a Britain without Muslims, a Britain without Jews, Hindus, would not be the Britain we want to see."

Former chief rabbi Lord Sacks said he believed the letter was well-intentioned but he understood the frustrations of Muslim leaders at being held responsible for dealing with something out of their control.

"The problem is ... that letter suggested that the Muslim community within Britain can contain its own radicals," he told Today.

"The truth is that Islamism, like all modern global political movements, is actually a global phenomenon - transmitted by the internet, transmitted by social media - and so I would not be surprised if the Muslim community didn't say 'You're asking of us something that is not under our control'.

"Also, be aware that a survey two years ago showed that Muslims in Britain have the highest percentage of loyalty to Britain.

"I am absolutely sure that the Government was incredibly well-intentioned - Lord Ahmad and Eric Pickles are terrific people - but I can kind of see that Muslim communities said 'Why are you pointing the finger of blame at us?'."