Story highlights Imam Mohammed Mahmoud protected suspected attacker from angry crowd after van hit pedestrians

Witnesses say 48-year-old driver had been pulled from van and was being kicked and punched

Police, Mayor of London among those hailing imam's "bravery and courage" to step in and stop violence

London (CNN) The imam of a Muslim center in London has been praised for his "bravery and courage" in stopping an angry crowd turning on the driver involved in a van attack.

One person died and eight people were wounded, two seriously, after the vehicle rammed into people leaving Ramadan prayers in Finsbury Park, north London, in the early hours of Monday morning.

Imam Mohammed Mahmoud, of the Muslim Welfare House, has been hailed a hero for stepping in to protect the suspected attacker, a 48-year-old man, telling the furious mob: "Do not touch him."

Eyewitnesses told CNN that they saw a group of bystanders drag the driver out of the white van, pin him to the ground and hit him.

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