Finsbury Park Mosque terror: Where did it happen? Has the attacker been arrested? How many people have been injured? All we know so far

Finsbury Park attack: The scene at Seven Sisters Road where a van believed to be involved mounted the pavement
Jeremy Selwyn

One man has been killed and ten people injured after a van ploughed into worshippers outside a mosque in Finsbury Park in what police are treating as a terrorist attack.

Dozens of worshippers were leaving the mosque when the van veered into crowds in Seven Sisters Road in the early hours of Monday.

Scotland Yard said eight people were taken to hospital, two of whom have been seriously hurt. Two were treated for minor injuries at the scene.

Police have confirmed that a 48-year-old man has been arrested in connection with the attack, which targeted Muslims who had finished prayers at the mosque.

Counter-terrorism officers are investigating.

Here’s what we know so far.

What happened and where?

Police were called just after 12.20pm on Monday to reports of a vehicle striking pedestrians in Seven Sisters Road outside the Muslim Welfare House and near Finsbury Park Mosque.

Finsbury Park attack June 19

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Dozens of people had just finished prayers at Finsbury Park mosque when the vehicle veered into the crowd.

Finsbury Park is in north London, just over five miles from Westminster Bridge and London Bridge, where two previous terror attacks have rocked the capital in recent months.

Witnesses said a van struck pedestrians who were tending to an elderly man who had fallen down, perhaps because of the heat.

A map of Finsbury Park and the location of the attack

Others said they heard “screaming and shouting” and saw a crowd of people being “flattened” by the van.

The suspect

A 48-year-old man was detained by members of public at the scene and then arrested by police on suspicion of attempted murder.

No other suspects at the scene have been identified or reported to police, Scotland Yard said.

The van driver – a white man with black hair – was wrestled to the ground by bystanders, and police officers on patrol nearby were on the scene within seconds to arrest him.

Witnesses told the Standard he shouted “kill me, kill me, I've done my job” as he was pinned down by onlookers before the arrest was made.

It was said he blew kisses at the crowd once he was bundled inside a police van.

A Met Police spokesman said the suspect was taken to hospital as a precaution and will be taken into custody once discharged. He will also be subject of a mental health assessment, police said.

Claims that people were also attacked by a knife-wielding man have been dismissed by police, with a spokesman adding that there had been no reports of anyone suffering stab wounds.

The victims

The Met has confirmed that one man died following the incident, while a further 10 people were injured - two seriously.

The victims are believed to have been breaking fast at a cafe next to the mosque following late-night prayers observed during the Islamic holy month of Ramadan.

It is “too soon” to say if the man who was found dead was killed when the van hit pedestrians as he was already being given first aid by the public on the pavement, police said.

Injured: Paramedics take one of the wounded away
James Gourley/Rex Features

Eight people injured were taken to three separate hospitals, while two people were treated at the scene for minor injuries.

Witnesses said they heard “screaming and shouting” and saw a crowd of people being “flattened” by the van.

One bystander Sami Ali said: “There was an elderly woman and a guy trapped under the car, everyone was just trying to help them.”

A worshipper, who asked not to be named, told the Standard the man who was killed was a member of the area’s Muslim community.

How leaders responded

Prime Minister Theresa May described the attack as a “terrible incident” and that she would hold a Cobra committee emergency meeting later on Monday.

She added: "All my thoughts are with those who have been injured, their loved ones and the emergency services on the scene."

Meanwhile Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said he was “totally shocked” at the incident, adding: "My thoughts are with those and the community affected by this awful event."

London Mayor Sadiq Khan condemned the “horrific terrorist attack” and said extra police will be deployed to protect Muslim communities observing Ramadan.

The Muslim Council of Britain had called for extra security around mosques, as it described the attack as "the most violent manifestation" of Islamophobia.

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