The alleged London mosque attacker has been identified as Darren Osborne. Picture: Supplied

The life of 47-year-old Darren Osbourne of Pentwyn, Cardiff, had been on a downward spiral for some time.

“Around two weeks ago I saw him and he was a right state,” Peter Mackuin told The Sun.

“He looked like he’d been crying. Something was definitely wrong.

“His missus had been out looking for him as he had been gone all day after a blazing row.

“I saw him wandering out of the woods.”

His neighbours said that he was living in the tent in the woods near his home after splitting from his partner and mother of his four children Sarah Andrews.

Stephanie Kibble, 22, told The Sun: “He was in my house a week ago helping my mum with her TV.

“He was lovely with us but there were always police around because he argued with his wife and had trouble with his eldest daughter.”

‘EVERY MOTHER’S WORST NIGHTMARE’

Osbourne’s 72-year-old mother Christine said she screamed in horror when she saw the TV footage of him after the attack.

“My son is no terrorist — he’s just a man with problems and I don’t know how to cope with all this,” she told The Sun.

“He’s never spoken to me about terror attacks or talked about ‘bloody Muslims’ — never in a million years and that’s the truth.

“As a mum my heart goes out to everyone in Finsbury Park.”

MUSLIM NEIGHBOURS SHOCKED

Two Muslim neighbours of Osborne said he had never showed any animosity towards them.

Mother-of-six Khadijah Sherazi, a British Islamic convert, moved next door to Osborne six months ago.

“This is a complete shock, I thought he was a normal neighbour, laughing and joking. He fixed my leaky tap the other day,” she said.

“He seemed like a good dad, he takes the kids to school and back every day and walks the dogs.”

Saleem Naema, who is from Iraq, lives on the same road.

“I couldn’t believe when I realised it was him who was accused,” he said.

“We’d say hello everyday when dropping the kids off at school and he never had a problem with me at all.

“I’m a Muslim and he was never nasty or racist towards me.”

Osbourne is the alleged terrorist who slammed into a crowd outside the Finsbury Park Mosque in London on Monday.

Witnesses said he shouted “I want to kill all Muslims”.

One elderly man, who collapsed as the van appeared, was pronounced dead at the scene, although police have not yet confirmed whether he died as a result of the attack.

Nine other people were hospitalised as a result of the incident.

MOSQUE ATTACK: Terror in London

Alleged mosque attacker Darren Osborne pictured during his arrest in London. Picture: SuppliedSource:Supplied

Locals held onto the suspect until he was detained by police and later arrested on charges of “the commission, preparation or instigation of terrorism including murder and attempted murder.”

The terror probe led investigators to the Welsh capital Cardiff, where they searched a property said by media to be the home of Osborne.

Former friends of the alleged attacker said he grew up in Weston-super-Mare before moving to Wales with his partner and children.

An ex-schoolmate, who attended Broadoak Mathematics and Computing College with him, said: “I went to school with him, I’ve known him for 35 years, it’s 100 per cent him.”

Darren Osborne’s home in Cardiff, Wales is searched by police. Picture: Matthew Horwood/Getty ImagesSource:Getty Images

The suspected terrorist, believed to have been born in Singapore in 1969, was apprehended by bystanders with a brave Imam shielding him from angry crowds in a bid to “extinguish any flames of anger” until cops arrived.

It is claimed that Osbourne was kicked out of his town’s Hollybush pub on Sunday for allegedly drunkenly cursing Muslims.

“He was cursing Muslims and saying he would do some damage,” a man told The Sun.

‘THIS WAS TERRORISM’: CANBERRA REACTS TO TRAGEDY

Australian politicians have vowed to stand against terrorism “in all its forms” after yet another attack in London yesterday.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull addressed parliament on the Finsbury Park attack today before MPs held a minute’s silence for the victim and the dozens of British residents who had died in the Grenfell Towers’ fire.

The Prime Minister highlighted the fact the latest attack was directed at Muslims and said Australia would stand with the UK against terrorism in all its forms.

“We are not halfway through 2017 but for the United Kingdom, this year has already been marked by terror and tragedy,” he said.

“As Prime Minister Theresa May said last night, terrorism attempts to break the precious bonds of solidarity and citizenship that we share.

“We stand with the UK, resolutely defiant against terrorism in all its forms.”

Opposition leader Bill Shorten joined the Prime Minister in his condemnation of the “horrific” attack.

“We should all be clear about one thing, very clear,” he said.

“This attack was not revenge, it was not retribution, this was terrorism.

“This was violence aimed at the innocent, designed to spread fear and incite hatred.”

Mr Shorten said despite the injuries it had inflicted, the attack had failed.

“It failed because the people of London and Britain -whose resilience has been sadly tried far too often in recent days and weeks - ... are bigger, are braver, are better than the extremists who seek to test and divide them,” he said.

OSBORNE’S FAMILY SPEAK

Osborne’s older sister Nicola Osborne, 50, who celebrated her birthday yesterday, said she was “sorry for what’s happened” and insisted her brother was “not interested in terrorism”.

“He is not political.

“He wouldn’t even know who the Prime Minister is.

“I’ve never heard him say anything about Muslims or anything racist.

“My own son is mixed race and Darren loves him to bits.”

In a statement on behalf of the family, Osborne’s nephew, 26-year-old Ellis Osborne, said: “We are massively shocked; it’s unbelievable, it still hasn’t really sunk in. We are devastated for the families, our hearts go out to the people who have been injured.”

Mr Osborne added his uncle was “not a racist” and said he had never expressed any racist views.

He added: “It’s madness. It is obviously sheer madness.”

British Prime Minister Theresa May talks to faith leaders at Finsbury Park Mosque. Picture: Stefan Rousseau/WPA Pool/Getty ImagesSource:Getty Images

Witnesses described hearing the van driver, who was detained by members of the public at the scene, shout: “I’m going to kill Muslims.”

On the night of the attack, the suspect appeared to wave and blow a kiss to the crowd while looking out at the scene of devastation left in the North London street.

Images of the van showed it was rented from Pontyclun Van Hire in Pontyclun, near Cardiff.

People hold up signs saying 'united against terror' as they attend a vigil outside Finsbury Park Mosque. Picture: Dan Kitwood/Getty ImagesSource:Getty Images

Originally published as Mosque attacker ‘living in a tent’