Updated June 24, 2017 00:33:56

British police have charged a man with terrorism-related murder and attempted murder over an incident in which a van was driven at Muslim worshippers leaving a mosque after prayers earlier this week.

Darren Osborne, 47, is accused of ploughing the rented vehicle into the group of worshippers in Finsbury Park in the early hours of Monday morning.

London police said they had linked the death of 51-year-old Makram Ali to the alleged attack.

Mr Ali died of "multiple injuries" but was already receiving treatment for a medical problem.

Another 11 people were injured in the incident, which occurred as worshippers were leaving the mosque following Ramadan prayers.

Osborne, from Cardiff in Wales, is due to appear before magistrates on Friday (local time).

He was also facing several other charges, including the preparation or instigation of terrorism.

Osborne's family expressed shock last week after hearing that the father-of-four — who was not previously known to authorities for links to extremism — had been arrested.

His mother Christine Osborne said she only found out her son was in custody after seeing images of him broadcast on television.

"Oh God … you just can't imagine," she said.

"I'm not going to defend him, but it's my son, and it's a terrible, terrible shock.

"At this moment in time, I can't cope with it. I can't."

Violent period continues for the UK

The attack has raised tensions in London and the UK, which had suffered multiple extremist attacks in the last three months.

Seven people were killed along with the three attackers when terrorists drove through pedestrians on London Bridge and then began stabbing people in Borough Market on June 3.

A suicide bomber struck at a concert in Manchester on May 22, killing 22 people and injuring dozens.

Five people were killed in March when an extremist mounted the pavement on London's Westminster Bridge in a car and then stabbed a policeman outside the Houses of Parliament.

Photo: A police officer stands outside Darren Osborne's home in Cardiff, Wales. (Reuters: Rebecca Naden)

AP/Reuters

Topics: terrorism, law-crime-and-justice, murder-and-manslaughter, united-kingdom

First posted June 23, 2017 22:11:55