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One man has been confirmed dead after a van was driven into a crowd of worshippers near a London mosque, with the driver under arrest and counter-terror police called in.
Key points:
- A van was driven into a crowd outside the Muslim Welfare House in Finsbury Park
- One person was killed and 10 others injured in the incident, which is being investigated by counter-terrorism officers
- The driver of the van was placed under citizen arrest at the scene and later arrested by police
A white van was driven into the crowd near the Finsbury Park Mosque in North London just after midnight, as worshippers were leaving following Ramadan prayers.
A 48-year-old driver of the van was detained by members of the public at the scene, and arrested by police.
The Metropolitan Police's Counter-terrorism Command is leading the investigation.
The London Ambulance Service said eight people were being treated for injuries in hospital, with two others earlier treated at the scene for minor injuries.
But police appeared to discount earlier reports that some victims had been stabbed, saying none of the injured suffered knife wounds.
British Prime Minister Theresa May said the incident was being treated as a "potential terrorist attack" and is expected to chair an emergency meeting in coming hours.
Footage posted on social media showed people lying on the pavement being given CPR, and a man with dark curly hair being led away by police.
A statement from London's Metropolitan Police confirmed one man had been arrested.
"We have sent a number of ambulance crews, advance paramedics and specialist response teams to the scene," the London Ambulance Service said in a statement.
"Our priority is to assess the level and nature of injuries and ensure those in the most need are treated first and taken to hospital."
Van 'driven into worshippers after Ramadan prayers'
Police said they were called to the scene just after 00:20am (9:20am AEST) to "reports of a vehicle in collision with pedestrians".
Witnesses said the van drove into people who were leaving Ramadan prayers at the Finsbury Park Mosque.
"We have been informed that a van has run over worshippers as they left #FinsburyPark Mosque. Our prayers are with the victims," the Muslim Council of Britain said on Twitter.
It later updated the location: "UPDATE: the attack took place outside @MWH_London which is nearby the #FinsburyPark mosque, not outside Finsbury Park mosque itself."
The Twitter handle @MWH_London is used by the Muslim Welfare House, a local community organisation.
The Muslim Council of Britain said the incident was a "violent manifestation of Islamophobia".
"During the night, ordinary British citizens were set upon while they were going about their lives, completing their night worship," Secretary General of the Council, Harun Khan, said in a statement.
"It appears from eyewitness accounts that the perpetrator was motivated by Islamophobia."
Witnesses describe moment 'a big white van swerved in'
"I saw at least two people being attended to on the ground. Shortly after police cordoned the area," said BBC producer Abdirahim Saeed, who was tweeting from the scene.
"People here say the attacker probably thought the place was a mosque and people just leaving late Ramadan prayers."
An eyewitness told the ABC that worshippers were "minding our own business, drinking tea, relaxing after the mosque" when "a big white van swerved in".
He said people in the crowd put the driver under citizen's arrest.
"The guy was smiling, he was happy," he said.
Ms May was informed of the incident about 3:00am local time.
"This is a terrible incident," Ms May said in a statement.
"My thoughts are with those who have been injured, their loved ones, and the emergency services on the scene."
The leader of Britain's opposition Labour Party, Jeremy Corbyn, said in a statement on Twitter he was "totally shocked" by the incident.
"My thoughts are with those and the community affected by this awful event," he said.
The Finsbury Park Mosque was associated with extremist ideology for several years after the 9/11 attacks in the United States but was shut down and reorganised. It has not been associated with radical views for more than a decade.
Earlier this month, a van veered into pedestrians on London Bridge, setting off vehicle and knife attacks that killed eight people and wounded many others on the bridge and in the nearby Borough Market area.
The three terrorists who carried out that attack were killed by police.
ABC/wires
First posted