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Finsbury Park terror attack: 'Every bit as sickening' as previous attacks, says Theresa May – latest updates Finsbury Park terror attack: Theresa May arrives at the scene – latest updates
(35 minutes later)
1.46pm BST
13:46
Politicians are flocking to Finsbury Park.
1.39pm BST
13:39
Damien Gayle
Jeremy Corbyn has just arrived at Finsbury Park mosque accompanied by Labour MP for Tottenham David Lammy. The labour leader walked past a scrum of reporters and passers by to enter by the men’s entrance. He did not say anything, but a passerby was heard shouting: “I love you!” A second man shouted: “All Muslims love you.”
#FinsburyParkTerrorAttack @jeremycorbyn arriving at #FinsburyPark mosque pic.twitter.com/4K5m1PcsJU
1.35pm BST
13:35
The number of people being treated in hospital after the attack now stands at seven, down from eight this morning.
In an update NHS England said: “A total of seven patients are currently being treated in London hospitals. The three hospitals who have received patients are the Royal London, Whittington, and St Mary’s. The London Ambulance Service treated 2 and discharged at the scene.”
It does not say whether any of the wounded are in critical care. Earlier police said two people were seriously injured.
1.27pm BST
13:27
May has met religious leaders of many faiths at the Finsbury Park Mosque, including Mohammed Kozbar, chair of the mosque.
#Shomrim President, Rabbi Herschel Gluck OBE, at the #FinsburyPark Mosque with the UK Prime Minister Theresa May. #WeStandTogether pic.twitter.com/6zZEdJlJN8
Her visit to the scene and, her willingness to talk to people affected, is notably faster than her response to the Grenfell Tower fire last week.
Updated
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1.19pm BST
13:19
Here’s the full text of Theresa May’s Downing Street statement.
It ends:
Today’s attack falls at a difficult time in the life of this city, following on from the attack on London Bridge 2 weeks ago – and of course the unimaginable tragedy of Grenfell Tower last week, on which I will chair another meeting of Ministers and officials later today.
But what we have seen throughout – whether in the heroism of the ordinary citizens who fought off the attackers at London Bridge; the unbreakable resolve of the residents in Kensington; or this morning the spirit of the community that apprehended this attacker – is that this is an extraordinary city of extraordinary people.
It is home to a multitude of communities that together make London one of the greatest cities on earth.
Diverse, welcoming, vibrant, compassionate, confident and determined never to give in to hate.
These are the values that define this city.
These are the values that define this country.
These are the values that this government will uphold.
These are the values that will prevail.
Here’s our report:
1.17pm BST
13:17
There’s a lot of politicians on the scene.
London Mayor Sadiq Khan has arrived at the #FinsburyParkattack scene. Headed towards mosque with Corbyn. pic.twitter.com/ZKJ7d7eYox
1.15pm BST
13:15
Theresa May arrives at the scene
Theresa May has arrived at the scene. Eve Hartley of Huff Post UK has this video of the PM’s arrival.
The PM Theresa May has arrived at #FinsburyPark mosque. pic.twitter.com/YpFTyJDXIf
1.11pm BST1.11pm BST
13:1113:11
London Ambulance has confirmed that eight people have been taken to three London hospitals after being injured in the attack. Others were treated at the scene for minor injuries, it said in an update. London Ambulance has confirmed that eight people were taken to three London hospitals after being injured in the attack. Others were treated at the scene for minor injuries, it said.
The first of 60 paramedics arrived within 14 minutes of the first emergency call, according to Peter McKenna, deputy director of operations.The first of 60 paramedics arrived within 14 minutes of the first emergency call, according to Peter McKenna, deputy director of operations.
Latest statement: Our thoughts are with all of those affected by the incident in #FinsburyPark earlier today https://t.co/oL75V7ZUWD pic.twitter.com/mm6563MLotLatest statement: Our thoughts are with all of those affected by the incident in #FinsburyPark earlier today https://t.co/oL75V7ZUWD pic.twitter.com/mm6563MLot
Updated
at 1.22pm BST
12.48pm BST12.48pm BST
12:4812:48
Mohammed Kozbar, the chairman of the nearby Finsbury Park mosque, has given a statement at the scene flanked by other religious leaders from the Islington faith forum and Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn.Mohammed Kozbar, the chairman of the nearby Finsbury Park mosque, has given a statement at the scene flanked by other religious leaders from the Islington faith forum and Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn.
He pointed out that members of different faith communities gathered on Muslim Welfare House gathered on Saturday to remember the murdered MP Jo Cox, as he said:“To honour and celebrate her affirmation that we all have more in common than we have things which differentiate us.” Pointing out that members of different faith communities gathered at Muslim Welfare House on Saturday to remember the murdered MP Jo Cox, he said: “To honour and celebrate her affirmation that we all have more in common than we have things which differentiate us.”
He added: “Less than 48 hours later the same area experienced a terrorist attack, aimed at killing Muslim returning home after their Ramadan prayers. Our thoughts and prayers are with the family of the person who died and with all those injured and traumatised by this event. An attack on one faith is an attack on all faith and communities.He added: “Less than 48 hours later the same area experienced a terrorist attack, aimed at killing Muslim returning home after their Ramadan prayers. Our thoughts and prayers are with the family of the person who died and with all those injured and traumatised by this event. An attack on one faith is an attack on all faith and communities.
Those who try to divide us and who aim to spread fear, hatred and division will not succeed ...May we stand together in these challenging times.” Those who try to divide us and who aim to spread fear, hatred and division will not succeed … May we stand together in these challenging times.”
Updated
at 1.21pm BST
12.35pm BST12.35pm BST
12:3512:35
The van hire company whose vehicle was involved in the attack has issued a statement. It said:The van hire company whose vehicle was involved in the attack has issued a statement. It said:
We at Pontyclun Van Hire are shocked and saddened by the incident that took place at Finsbury Park last night. We are cooperating fully with the Metropolitan police and our thoughts are with those who have been injured in this cowardly attack.We at Pontyclun Van Hire are shocked and saddened by the incident that took place at Finsbury Park last night. We are cooperating fully with the Metropolitan police and our thoughts are with those who have been injured in this cowardly attack.
We will not be making any further statement because of the ongoing police investigation but will continue to assist the police in any way we can.We will not be making any further statement because of the ongoing police investigation but will continue to assist the police in any way we can.
UpdatedUpdated
at 12.47pm BSTat 12.47pm BST
12.32pm BST12.32pm BST
12:3212:32
What we know so farWhat we know so far
Police have confirmed they are investigating a terror attack in London after a van ploughed into people near a north London mosque, leaving one person dead and injuring eight others. A 48-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder, and two of those hit by the van were said to be “very seriously injured”.Police have confirmed they are investigating a terror attack in London after a van ploughed into people near a north London mosque, leaving one person dead and injuring eight others. A 48-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder, and two of those hit by the van were said to be “very seriously injured”.
Witnesses said the driver had shouted: “I want to kill all Muslims” before onlookers pinned him to the ground. The suspect was protected by a local imam after being pinned down by members of the Muslim community.Witnesses said the driver had shouted: “I want to kill all Muslims” before onlookers pinned him to the ground. The suspect was protected by a local imam after being pinned down by members of the Muslim community.
Theresa May has vowed that “hatred and evil” of the kind seen in the attack on a north London mosque will never succeed. May said that the attack on Muslims was “every bit as insidious and destructive to our values and our way of life” as the recent string of terror attacks apparently motivated by Islamist extremism.Theresa May has vowed that “hatred and evil” of the kind seen in the attack on a north London mosque will never succeed. May said that the attack on Muslims was “every bit as insidious and destructive to our values and our way of life” as the recent string of terror attacks apparently motivated by Islamist extremism.
The Labour leader and local MP, Jeremy Corbyn, spent much of the early morning at Muslim Welfare House, where the attack took place. He said: “I see it this is a terror on the streets … in the communities … We have to all reach out and feel their pain and their stress.”The Labour leader and local MP, Jeremy Corbyn, spent much of the early morning at Muslim Welfare House, where the attack took place. He said: “I see it this is a terror on the streets … in the communities … We have to all reach out and feel their pain and their stress.”
Police said it was too early to state if the man who died at the scene was killed in the attack. He was being helped when the van ploughed into pedestrians. All of the victims of the attack, including two who are in a critical condition, are from the Muslim community.Police said it was too early to state if the man who died at the scene was killed in the attack. He was being helped when the van ploughed into pedestrians. All of the victims of the attack, including two who are in a critical condition, are from the Muslim community.
The suspected attacker, who was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder, waved to the crowd as he was led away. The van involved in the attack is marked with the livery of the hire company, which is based on an industrial estate close to the M4 12 miles west of Cardiff.The suspected attacker, who was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder, waved to the crowd as he was led away. The van involved in the attack is marked with the livery of the hire company, which is based on an industrial estate close to the M4 12 miles west of Cardiff.
White supremacists have celebrated the attack, according to the US extremist monitoring group Site. It also said pro-Islamic State channels were using reports of the incident to incite Muslims.White supremacists have celebrated the attack, according to the US extremist monitoring group Site. It also said pro-Islamic State channels were using reports of the incident to incite Muslims.
Muslim leaders have reacted with shock, condemnation and calls for security at mosques to be stepped up. Many also said the backdrop of the attack was rising Islamophobia. Support also came from Christian, Jewish and Sikh leaders.Muslim leaders have reacted with shock, condemnation and calls for security at mosques to be stepped up. Many also said the backdrop of the attack was rising Islamophobia. Support also came from Christian, Jewish and Sikh leaders.
UpdatedUpdated
at 12.50pm BSTat 12.50pm BST
12.25pm BST
12:25
Here’s a visual guide to how the attack unfolded:
12.11pm BST
12:11
Footage of suspect waving as he was led away
This footage shows the man suspected of carrying out the Finsbury Park attack waving to the crowd as he was put into a police van.
Updated
at 12.21pm BST
12.07pm BST
12:07
Here’s PA’s first take on the prime minister’s statement:
Theresa May has vowed that “hatred and evil” of the kind seen in the attack on a north London mosque will never succeed.
The prime minister was speaking following a meeting with security officials and ministers in the government’s Cobra emergency committee in Whitehall.
She confirmed that police believe the man who drove a van into worshippers outside Finsbury Park mosque in the early hours of Monday acted alone.
Speaking outside 10 Downing Street, May said the attack had “once again targeted the ordinary and the innocent going about their daily lives – this time, British Muslims as they left a mosque, having broken their fast and prayed together at this sacred time of year”.
She added: “Today we come together, as we have done before, to condemn this act and to state once again that hatred and evil of this kind will never succeed.”
May said that the attack on Muslims was “every bit as insidious and destructive to our values and our way of life” as the recent string of terror attacks apparently motivated by Islamist extremism, adding: “We will stop at nothing to defeat it.”
Updated
at 12.15pm BST
12.05pm BST
12:05
The BBC has footage of the suspected attacker being pinned to the ground by members of the Muslim community.
Footage shows the moment crowds restrain man suspected of driving van into pedestrians near #FinsburyPark mosquehttps://t.co/CBG8mzBpgY pic.twitter.com/NtYoQbLGXC
11.58am BST
11:58
Here’s audio of the prime minister’s statement:
There’s more on our Politics Live blog.
Updated
at 12.01pm BST
11.55am BST
11:55
Three men who say they helped to restrain the suspect in the attack near a north London mosque have praised an imam who urged the crowd not to do him any harm.
After a van ploughed into a group of people in Finsbury Park, members of the public wrestled the suspect to the ground. Then an imam from the Muslim Welfare House urged the crowd to remain calm.
“The imam came from the mosque and he said, ‘Listen we are fasting, this is Ramadan, we are not supposed to do these kinds of things so please step back,’” said Mohammed, one of three men who were sitting outside a nearby coffee shop on Monday morning and said that they had played a part in holding the man down.
“For that reason this guy is still alive today,” the cafe owner, 29, went on. “This is the only reason. If the imam was not there he wouldn’t be here today.”
The imam was named by the Muslim Welfare House as Mohammed Mahmoud. In a statement Toufik Kacimi, the mosque and welfare centre’s chief executive, praised Mahmoud’s bravery which he said “helped calm the immediate situation after the incident and prevented further injuries and potential loss of life”.
Footage on mobile phones at the scene when the man was being held on the ground captures the voice of a man shouting: “No one touch him – no-one! No-one!”
Other witnesses corroborated the cafe owner Mohammed’s account of the incident. Adil Rana, 24, who was outside the mosque when the van drove towards the crowd, said that initially, some people had attacked the suspect. “The driver jumped out and then he was pinned down to the floor and people were punching him and beating him, which was reasonable because of what he’s done,” he said. “And then the imam of the mosque actually came out and said: ‘Don’t hit him, hand him over to the police, pin him down.’”
Hussain Ali, 28, said: “The leader of the mosque said: ‘You do not touch him’. He was sitting and holding him like that, people kept holding him.”
Updated
at 12.00pm BST
11.54am BST
11:54
May pays tribute to the “extraordinary” people of London. She praises the way the public detained the attacker, just as others had tackled the attackers on London Bridge, and the way the community had come together in the aftermath of the Grenfell Tower fire.
Updated
at 12.01pm BST
11.52am BST
11:52
May: attack is 'sickening'
Theresa May is giving a statement in Downing Street. She says the attack is “every bit as sickening” as the other recent terrorist attacks.
Police declared it a terrorist incident within eight minutes, May says.
The 48-year-old suspect attacker was “bravely” detained by members of the public, she adds.
“This was an attack on Muslims near their place of worship … And like all acts of terrorism it seeks to drive us apart,” she says.
The attacker is a reminder that extremism and hatred takes many forms.
Updated
at 12.02pm BST
11.45am BST
11:45
Alice Ross
There is significant anger and mistrust of the media among some members of Finsbury Park’s Muslim community.
Many people are reluctant to provide their names when speaking to reporters, and will refuse to speak to certain outlets. Ali Habib, 23, a student union organiser who lives in the area, said that lingering negative media reporting about Finsbury Park mosque, after its association with Abu Hamza, had created a sense of threat.
He said: “Two years ago they threw petrol bombs at Finsbury Park mosque when people were praying. When that happened, we thought it was just an incident that would never happen again.”
In the aftermath of last night’s attack, he added: “In the first instance as soon as it was reported, the Daily Mail came here talking about Abu Hamza: they were calling it a revenge attack.”
On social media he saw it referred to as having a troubled past, he said. “It’s not the same mosque.”
The way the attack was reported in the immediate aftermath meant “there’s a lot of anger about the media,” Habib said.
“The BBC was talking about a fish market and Brexit … a lot of people here feel neglected.
“There were people there I know who didn’t know where their families were, so the media was like a spit in the face.”
Youth from the area, who are usually portrayed negatively in the media, were the ones who had conducted the citizen’s arrest and helped lift the lorry to rescue a man trapped underneath, he pointed out.
“Orthodox Jews and Muslims were all together [on the cordon] but we didn’t see the media reporting that last night.” Habib added that within the community “they are waiting to see if the PM’s going to react the way she had in the past”.
Jeremy Corbyn, the local MP, is currently at the site and had a statement out within the hour, Habib noted. But he had also taken an interest in the community before the apparent attack.
“He broke fast with the local community five days ago in the Finsbury Park mosque,” he said. The apparent targeting of the Muslim community at the height of Ramadan has shocked the community, he added.
“A lot of the time people are saying Islamophobia isn’t real, but this time it’s actually killed someone and injured others … There are kids who grew up [watching this] on TV and never expected it to happen in their own backyard,” he said.
Some key reading material to understand #FinsburyPark attack. pic.twitter.com/vXfSvC65IK
Updated
at 12.05pm BST
11.33am BST
11:33
White supremacists have celebrated the attack, according to the US extremist monitoring group Site.
One declared it as “hope for the British,” Site reported.
White Supremacists Celebrate Car Ramming Pedestrians Near #London Mosque in #FinsburyPark, Claim There May be... https://t.co/50iOJnXtBS pic.twitter.com/NKv6q8ESzM
The attack was also reportedly praised on the Facebook site of the far-right group Britain First.
Appalling comments on #BritainFirst's #Facebook post https://t.co/1N7gKywoKV regarding #FinsburyParkattack @TellMamaUK #FinsburyPark pic.twitter.com/SOxYunlnmN
Site also reported that pro-Islamic State channels are using reports of the incident in Finsbury Park to incite Muslims (see earlier).
Updated
at 12.06pm BST