The video will start in 8 Cancel

Latest news straight to your inbox Subscribe Thank you for subscribing We have more newsletters Show me See our privacy notice Invalid Email

A man was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder after a boy of 14 was stabbed outside a Birmingham mosque as his horrified father looked on.

The victim was fighting for his life following the attack, which happened near the Idaara Maarif-e-Islam mosque in Small Heath at around 1am on Saturday.

He was understood to have been knifed in the head and neck on the pavement and remained in a critical condition in hospital on Saturday afternoon.

The mosque was busy with worshippers, despite the late hour, as families marked the start of the Islamic Holy Year.

The teenager was rushed to hospital in a critical condition.

The area was sealed off and forensics examinations were taking place.

A man aged 29 was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder on Saturday morning and was in custody.

West Midlands Police said the attack was not believed to have been linked to terrorism but detectives were investigating whether the stabbing may have been racially or religiously-motivated.

Patrols have been stepped up in the area.

Mosque president Azhar Kiani appealed for calm in the community after the boy, understood to be from Kings Heath, was stabbed in Herbert Road.

He told the Mail the victim’s father witnessed the attack after arriving in his car.

A second source said the teenager’s brother was also present.

Mr Kiani said: “It happened on the pavement.

“By the time, the dad parked his car, his son was on the floor.

There was a young man who was brutally beating the boy with a knife.

“There was blood everywhere, he was hitting the boy’s neck and head.

“Then the attacker ran off and got into a car.

“I’m keeping the whole community calm.”

The mosque’s information secretary, Adnan Khan, said: “We had been advised about security and now have knife scanners at the entrance to the halls, but obviously nothing in the street.”

Det Insp Jim Colclough, from West Midlands Police’s complex crime investigation team at Bournville Lane police station, said:

“Our investigation is progressing quickly but it is still in the early stages.

“We do not believe it to be terror-related.

“The motivation for the attack is not yet known, we are keeping an open mind as to whether it could be racially or religiously-motivated.

“We are working closely with local communities and have increased our police presence in the area to provide reassurance and be on hand to answer any questions or concerns that people may have.

“It is a tragic event which has left a young boy in hospital fighting for his life.

“We’ve spoken to a number of witnesses but would continue to urge anyone who was in the area and saw what happened, or has any other information which may help our investigation to contact me or my team.”

Anyone with information should call police on 101 or Crimestoppers, in confidence, on 0800 555 111.