This is the shocking moment that a car ploughed into pedestrians outside a mosque - with shouts of 'dirty Muslims' heard - before speeding off.

Passengers are claimed to have hurled anti-Muslim taunts before the vehicle sped off outside the Al-Majlis Al-Hussaini mosque in Cricklewood, North West London.

Three people - including two men in their 20s and a man in his 50s - were taken to hospital but their injuries are not thought to be life-threatening.

This video shows the moment a car ploughed into pedestrians outside a mosque in London

Paramedics help an injured man after the incident outside a mosque in North West London

The Hussaini Association, which had organised a lecture there, said the victims 'were indiscriminately mown down in a suspected premeditated Islamophobic attack'.

Taunts of 'dirty Muslims' could be heard coming from the car, which contained three men and one woman, according to Hassan Naddi, head of security for the group.

Security staff claimed up to a dozen people could have been killed but for the fact so many cars were parked in the street as hundreds of people left the event.

Mr Naddi said: 'The car drove towards the crowd and someone shouted out the window 'dirty Muslim'. People were coming out and they were hiding everywhere.

'It was mayhem. The car mounted the curb, then hit a lamppost, I was the first one responding to the call.'

The crash happened about 100 yards from the centre. Mr Naddi added: 'He was whipping down here trying to hit people - he crashed three times.

'There were 1,500 people out on the street. If cars weren't parked up blocking the way he would have 15 dead minimum, women, children and old men.

'The police are saying this was not a terror attack - look at what happened, it's clear that it was. A man was hit badly, he was 78 years old and he damaged his hip and head.'

Passengers are said to have hurled anti-Muslim taunts before speeding off outside the mosque

Al Balaghi, who is also from the association, wished the victims a 'speedy recovery'.

He said: 'We request all members of the public to stay calm and not to fuel any retaliation. We can only extend our prayers to the families and the victims.'

Taqwa Balaghi, organiser of women's affairs at The Hussaini Association, said: 'This has never happened in our history in London - and we have been here since 1984.

'We became aware of a car parked nearby. These people were abusing our security, shouting racial slurs - they had been in the car park all day.

'When everybody was leaving at midnight I heard a loud bang. There was a big rush - everyone tried to get out of the road and find cover.'

Another witness, Ali Salman, said: 'We came out of the centre and walked towards our car. We heard loud bangs and saw a car trying to run over some people.

'The security guys shouted stop him, then I realised it was something wasn't right, so I ran in between a car and a van.

'As I'm running in between the van, the car came flying towards us, my friend was behind us and I don't know how he managed to jump out of the way.

Three people were taken to hospital but their injuries are not thought to be life-threatening

'The car missed us, then he turned towards another group of men on the other side - roughly 20 metres away - and drove at them with full force.

'We all chased the car down the hill and the car was trying to run over more people - it was swerving towards groups of people.

'It could have been much worse with the number of people that was there. The driver was swerving into people trying to run over as many as possible.

'A brave member of security was knocked down as he went to help. We were all in a huge shock could not believe how close we came to death.'

Samir Haidari, 36, a community organiser from London, said he arrived at the scene roughly ten minutes after the incident to find many people 'very shocked, very troubled' as paramedics treated the injured.

He said: 'We're shocked but we're not surprised. No one is dealing with the rise of Islamophobia in the UK at the moment, the far-Right is rising and the rhetoric is increasing and nothing is being done about it.'

Mr Haidari said he had raised concerns with police and local councils a number of times over the last year but little had changed and Muslim communities and religious gatherings were not being protected.

Anti-immigration and anti-Muslim rhetoric from 'certain politicians' was 'adding fuel to the fire', he said, as Islam had become 'a target'.

London Ambulance Service attended and two people were taken to hospital for treatment

'Twelve months ago we had another incident in Finsbury Park, so this isn't the first and probably won't be the last, unfortunately,' he added.

Another witness claimed occupants of the car shouted abuse and anti-Islamic taunts. He said: 'The car was full of people - it was driving fast.

'One shouted 'dirty Muslim' - the car was just swerving down the road. It crashed into people and everyone was screaming.'

Police said three men and a woman all in their mid-20s were earlier seen in a private car park 'behaving anti-socially, drinking and allegedly using drugs'.

They were asked by security at the mosque to leave, but the occupants were 'involved in a confrontation with a large group of people visiting the centre'.

Police said comments 'of an Islamophobic nature' were allegedly made by those in the car, before it was damaged by some of the people outside the centre.

But the car is then said to have sped off, colliding with three individuals as it left.

Police are keeping an 'open mind' about what caused the collision at about 12.30am today, but officers are not treating the incident as terror-related.

The Hussaini Association said it had been a 'suspected premeditated Islamophobic attack'

Police were called this morning to reports of a 'car in collision with a number of pedestrians'

A Hussaini Association spokesman said: 'Patrons attending the annual Al Hussaini Majlis in Cricklewood were indiscriminately mown down in a suspected premeditated Islamophobic attack last night.

'Eyewitnesses saw a red Nissan Juke hurtling down Oxgate Lane just as the evening programme finished, mounting the pavement and hitting innocent members of the community who were heading home at around midnight.'

They added: 'Fortunately a number of volunteers bravely stood between the speeding vehicle and patrons heading home.

'These acts of bravery potentially saved the lives of dozens of innocent people from being taken.'

A Scotland Yard spokesman said: 'Police have established that at approximately 00.20am security at the community centre were informed of occupants in a car behaving anti-socially, drinking and allegedly using drugs.

'The occupants of the car - three males and a woman all aged in their mid-20s - were asked to leave the private car park.

'The car then drove near the centre and the occupants were involved in a confrontation with a large group of people visiting the centre.

'Words were exchanged and comments of an Islamophobic nature were allegedly made by the group in the car.

'The car then reportedly sustained minor damage by some of those outside the centre. It proceeded to make off at speed colliding with three individuals as it left.

'The car and its occupants who failed to stop and injured three people are being sought by police. No arrests have been made.'

Speaking at the scene, Chief Superintendent Simon Rose said today: 'At around half past midnight volunteer stewards challenged a small group of individuals.

'They were subjected to a tirade of Islamophobic and racist abuse and an altercation then took place. The people who had been challenged then drove at members of the community in a car.

'The car mounted the pavement twice and two people have been seriously hurt. Their injuries are not believed to be life threatening.

'The vehicle then drove off and was involved in a fail-to-stop accident.

'It is being dealt with as a critical incident. It is being dealt with as an Islamophobic hate crime and it is being dealt with as a racist hate crime.

'It is not at this time being dealt with as a counter-terrorism incident, as always subject to continuous review. We were extremely fortunate there was no loss of life.'

Police are keeping an 'open mind' about what caused the collision at about 12.30am today

Police said three men and a woman were earlier seen in a car park 'behaving anti-socially'

Scotland Yard said extra neighbourhood police patrols had been stepped up in the area

Detective Superintendent Kelly Schonhage said: 'We are treating this incident very seriously and a number of enquiries are underway to trace the car and those involved.

'Enquiries into the full circumstances of the collision are ongoing. If you were there at the time and have information I would urge you to contact police with information.

'Extra neighbourhood police patrols have been stepped up in the area and officers will be on hand to speak with those in the local community.'

The number of hate crimes in England and Wales increased by 29 percent in 2016-2017, according to the latest Home Office statistics.

On June 19 last year Darren Osborne ploughed a van into people leaving late-night prayers at a mosque in Finsbury Park in North London, killing one man and injuring 11 others.

Osborne, who had left a note in the van in which he said he was seeking revenge for Islamist terror attacks and a child sex scandal, was charged with terrorism-related murder and sentenced to life in prison in February.

Anyone with information is requested to call Brent CID on 07747 476 161 or 101 quoting CAD 150/29 Sept or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.