LONDON (AP) — Government inspectors in Britain said Monday there was a "culture of fear and intimidation" at several schools investigated over allegations of a plot to run them along strict Islamic lines.

The Office for Standards in Education, or OFSTED, said five of 21 schools it inspected in the central English city of Birmingham failed to protect students from extremism. The inspections were spurred by an anonymous letter alleging a plot called "Operation Trojan Horse" by hardline Muslims to infiltrate Birmingham schools.

Authorities believe the letter was a hoax, but the alleged plot has inflamed tensions in Britain's second-largest city and sparked a public feud between senior government ministers over the best way to confront extremist ideas.

Chief schools inspector Michael Wilshaw said there was evidence of an "organized campaign to target certain schools" by some members of their boards of governors. Inspectors said governors tried inappropriately to influence the curriculum at some schools, promoting a "narrow faith-based ideology" and in one case attempting to ban mixed-sex swimming lessons.

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