The Muslim Council of Britain has confirmed worshippers were targeted in the attack (Picture: Rex Shutterstock)

A man has been arrested after a van was driven into worshippers near a north London mosque.

Initial reports suggested that there were two people killed in the incident, but police later confirmed that one person had died.

Towns and cities across northern England and Wales to face new restrictions this weekend

The Evening Standard is reporting that a man armed with a knife jumped out of the van stabbed at least one person. However, this has not been confirmed.

Witnesses described seeing police giving emergency medical treatment to victims after the incident at shortly after 12am in Seven Sisters Road, Finsbury Park.


The Muslim Council of Britain has confirmed that worshippers leaving Finsbury Park Mosque were targeted when a van ran into them, adding: ‘Our prayers are with the victims.’



They are believed to have been targeted after breaking the Ramadan fast.

Chairman of the mosque, Mohammed Kozbar told The Sun: ‘Whoever did this, he did it to hurt people and it’s a terrorist attack.

To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video

To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video

A body lies on the ground where the van drove through crowds of people (Picture: Rex Shutterstock)

A group of men are seen holding the suspect to the ground as they scream for the help of police, in video posted to social media.

Worshippers were witnessed trying to help the stricken as they lay on the street during the chaotic scenes.

Police officers were also filmed attempting to resuscitate a person lying on the pavement.

Abdikadar Warfa said: ‘I saw a man underneath the van. He was bleeding. My friend said he had to lift the van, I was busy with a man who tried to escape.

‘My friend said he said some words, but I didn’t hear it. They (people who were hit) were mostly young. They are very bad.

To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video

To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video

People tend to many of the victims of the incident in Finsbury Park (Picture: Rex Shutterstock)

‘I tried to stop him (the suspect), some people were hitting him but I said stop him and keep him until the police came.

‘He was trying to run away but people overpowered him. He was fighting to run away.’

Video posted online of the aftermath of the attack showed a scene of chaos as people tried to help the injured.

One man could been seen giving CPR to a victim in the street while another man’s head injury was treated with a makeshift dressing.

People could be heard shouting and screaming amid the chaos and bloodstains were visible on the pavement.

Witnesses at the scene said an elderly man who had collapsed at a bus stop was being tended to when the vehicle struck pedestrians.

A dozen police officers stood guard on a balmy Monday morning at the cordon at the junction of Yonge Park and Seven Sisters Road while several locals looked on.

One resident told the Press Association he jumped out of the way as the van struck pedestrians.

The man, who did not want to be named, said: ‘The gentleman went straight down this road, people were just conversing, talking, just doing what we’re doing.

‘And he just came into all of us.

‘There was a lot of people. We got told to move straight away.

‘I was shocked, shocked, shocked. There were bodies around me.



‘Thank God I just moved to the side, I just jumped. Everyone is hurt. Everyone is actually hurt.’

Police officers help victims at the scene (Picture: Rex Shutterstock)

Mr Mohammed Shafiq, Chief Executive of the Ramadhan Foundation said: ‘I utterly condemn the senseless and evil van attack against Muslim worshippers outside the Finsbury Park Mosque in London. According to eye witnesses this was a deliberate attack against Innocent Muslims going about their life.

‘We should make clear that if this attack is confirmed as a deliberate terrorist attack then this should be classed as an act of terrorism. The British Muslim community requires all decent people to stand with us against this evil violence.

‘Rampant Islamaphobia has been on the rise for a number of years and those on the far right have perpetuated hatred against Muslims. They should be called out for their hatred.

‘The days ahead will be difficult, but with unity and tolerance we will prevail. We will not allow these far right extremists to divide our diverse communities.

‘Enough is enough, my condolences and prayers for all the victims and their families. They are in my prayers.’

A large cordon has been formed around the area (Picture: Reuters)

Dozens of police officers flooded the area after the incident at Finsbury Park (Picture: Reuters)

‘We call it a terrorist attack as we called it in Manchester, Westminster and London Bridge.

‘The van drove over people who were leaving late prayers. They were gathering in Seven Sisters Road.

‘I heard there are fatalities but I don’t want to jump to conclusions. My concern now is the casualties who have been affected.’

The Metropolitan Police described the attack as a ‘major incident’ and said one person was in custody and there were ‘a number of casualties’.

The attack appeared to target people breaking the Ramadan fast fast (Picture: Reuters)

London Ambulance Service said: ‘We have sent a number of resources to an incident in Seven Sisters Road.’


Pictures posted on social media show more than a dozen emergency vehicles at the scene.

Cynthia Vanzella said on Twitter: ‘Horrible to watch police officers doing cardiac massage at people on the floor, desperately trying to save them. I just hope they did.’

The chairman of the mosque has said it is a terror attack (Picture: Reuters)

A helicopter could be heard circling over Finsbury Park as police erected a large cordon in the area.

During Ramadan – the name of the ninth month in the Islamic calendar and the holiest time of their year – Muslims fast daily from dawn to dusk and focus on prayer, purification and acts of charity.

This year Ramadan began on May 26 and ends on Saturday June 24.

At least 10 people are believed to have been injured in the incident (Picture: Reuters)

Finsbury Park mosque used to be infamous as the stamping ground of hook-handed hate preacher Abu Hamza.

A number of terrorists were linked to the mosque, including shoebomber Richard Reid, who attempted to detonate explosives on an American Airlines flight from Paris to Miami in 2001.

It was raided and shut down and later reclaimed by the local Muslim community, who have transformed it into a place which actively promotes better community relations across faiths.